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Anything But a Duke

(The Duke's Den #2)

Christy Carlyle (Goodreads Author)

3.78 · Rating details · 317 ratings · 70 reviews

Self-made man Aidan Iverson has seen more closed doors in his thirty years than he’s ever cared to count. As a member of the elite Duke’s Den, he has all the money he could possibly need, but the one thing he can’t purchase is true power. If roguish Aidan can’t buy his way into society’s hallowed halls, he’ll resort to a more extreme measure: marriage.

Brought up to be a ...more

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ebook, 368 pages

Published April 30th 2019 by Avon

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Apr 17, 2019 WhiskeyintheJar/Kyraryker rated it liked it

Shelves: historical, series, regency

2.5 stars

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

Second in the Duke's Den series that follows three friends who invest together, Anything But a Duke follows the one without a title, Aidan Iverson. He's been able to rise from a childhood where the mother he can't remember left him and his sister and amassed great wealth. What he can't seem to overcome is the snobbery of the ton and certain doors remain 2.5 stars

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

Second in the Duke's Den series that follows three friends who invest together, Anything But a Duke follows the one without a title, Aidan Iverson. He's been able to rise from a childhood where the mother he can't remember left him and his sister and amassed great wealth. What he can't seem to overcome is the snobbery of the ton and certain doors remain closed to him. He decides that marrying an aristocrats daughter is his gateway to all these doors.

Diana doesn't want to get married and is trying to keep her family afloat by creating an invention that members of the Duke's Den will want to invest in. Her and her mother come to an agreement that if by the end of the month, if her invention doesn't become profitable, she will have to marry. When a chance encounter has her rescuing and kissing a mystery man, who turns out to be one of the investors she's supposed to impress, her world gets shaken.

Diana Ashby drew him. She always had. Her confidence. Her fearlessness. From the moment they’d met.

Aidan's plan to marry an aristocratic, while mercenary, did work as a ploy to achieve what he wanted. For having two friends of that world, a duke and and a marquess, I thought the story thread oddly underutilized them. It is set-up so that Diana, who is not nobility but has friends of that world, gets into a deal with him to try and set him up, while his side of the bargain is to get more investors for her. It worked but was also all a little coerced. There's a second thread underlying the romance one with Aidan searching for information about his birth mother and the sister he hopes escaped an orphanage fire. I thought this was rife for some great emotion but it was pushed to the side too much for me. Even when Aidan gets the answers he was searching for, the reveal fell a bit flat as character relationships in this thread weren't explored and Diana wasn't a huge part of this thread for Aidan to share with her. I did believe in why he fell in love with Diana but again, the emotional moments where he is choosing her over his ambition, fell a bit flat.

Every moment that they shared, every detail they revealed, made her want more.

I also would have liked a bit more of Diana's family relationships explored, especially with her mother or maybe a flashback or two with her father. Her father seemed to be like an absent minded professor, except with inventing. Part of her wanting to succeed was to show her father's pursuits weren't all a waste of time. We get a pretty good feel for her relationship with her twin brother, a seemingly wastrel but sticks up for Diana but her relationship with her mother was fairly blank. We know, because of their money issues, her mother is pressuring her to get married but the mother doesn't really appear on the pages and I missed feeling that aspect of Diana's life. While I believed in why Aidan feel in love with Diana, I didn't believe in it as strongly from Diana's side. He treats her well, the biggest being he embraces her inventor side, and she finds him attractive but I just didn't get see or get a handle on Diana developing feelings for him.

“I remember our deal, Diana.” He slid his hand from hers slowly and there was such disappointment in his gaze that her breath tangled in her throat. Moving past her, he strode toward the room across the hall, but midway he stopped and glanced at her over his shoulder. “Perhaps I’m just not content with the terms anymore.”

As I mentioned, Diana and Aidan's deal, he introduces her to investors to push her vacuum prototype and she introduces him to ladies of the nobility to find a wife and if she doesn't succeed in finding him a wife she must marry him at the end of the month, was a pretty coerced story plot. At the end, there is some angst where I didn't understand at all Diana's reluctance or refusals, that made it feel even more forced. Everyone is likeable and the story is nice but not a lot new here and all pretty sedate. If looking for a quieter, tried and true formula romance, this would be a nice pick. I'll be looking forward to the third in the series coming up where Aidan's roguish marquess friend will be finding love. ...more

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Mar 06, 2019 Stacee rated it really liked it

Shelves: edelweiss, contains-the-evil-sentence, read-in-2019

I had read the first book in this series and was eager to get to this one.

I loved Diana and Aiden. They’re both so smart and looking to belong in their own way. I loved that she was an inventor and that he built himself a living. They had excellent conversation and the though their relationship evolved in a short amount of time, it felt organic.

Plot wise, I just wanted more of them together. The thread about Aiden’s family fueled most of this story and I wasn’t really into that; however, I loved ...more

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Apr 15, 2019 Barbara Rogers rated it really liked it

Shelves: edelweiss, iblog, xx-2019-read

Series: Duke’s Den #2
Publication Date: 4/30/19
Number of Pages: 368

You will fall instantly in love with Aidan who is a one-third partner in the Duke’s Den. He doesn’t know all of his past, but what he does know about it is poverty, the workhouse, hunger, cold, loneliness, and sorrow. Now, he is as rich as Croesus, he is very successful in business and investing, but he doesn’t have the acceptance he desires in society. He is searching for information on his mother who dropped him and his sister Series: Duke’s Den #2
Publication Date: 4/30/19
Number of Pages: 368

You will fall instantly in love with Aidan who is a one-third partner in the Duke’s Den. He doesn’t know all of his past, but what he does know about it is poverty, the workhouse, hunger, cold, loneliness, and sorrow. Now, he is as rich as Croesus, he is very successful in business and investing, but he doesn’t have the acceptance he desires in society. He is searching for information on his mother who dropped him and his sister off at a workhouse, then just disappeared and he is also desperately wanting to be on the planning committee for Prince Albert’s grand industrial exhibition. So far, he’s had no success, the aristocracy just doesn’t take him seriously – if they acknowledge him at all. So, to gain the influence he wants, he needs to marry into the aristocracy – the higher the level the better.

Aidan and Miss Diana Ashby had an encounter a year earlier when she saved him from two cutpurses who were out to rob him – and worse. They were immediately attracted to each other, but they left the encounter without introducing themselves and with no expectations they’d ever meet again. Neither of them ever forgot the other and often thought of each other.

Diana was raised to be a proper lady, she learned all of the rules at Bexley Finishing School. She may know all of the rules, but she’s not interested in balls, soirees, strolling the park at the fashionable hour or marriage. What she is interested in is her inventions. Her father was an inventor – not a very successful one, but an inventor none-the-less. The difference between her inventions and her fathers is that hers are practical and useful. With the family coffers near empty, her mother has given her until the end of the month to find an investor for her inventions. Otherwise, she’ll have to enter the marriage mart.

Diana applied to the owners of the Duke’s Den seeking their investment in her invention (what sounds like a vacuum cleaner), but there was an accident just before she went in for her interview and she couldn’t demonstrate. She tells Aidan that it was his fault and that if he’d like to see it work, he can come to her workshop.

A deal is struck. Diana will help Aidan find an aristocratic wife and Aidan will invest in Diana’s invention. It doesn’t take Aidan long to regret that bargain because the woman he really wants is busy introducing him to other prospective brides. He has to manage to convince her that she wants him as much as he wants her.

It is a lovely romance between two people who don’t think they need love. They are perfect for each other. They are both driven and intense and they just complete each other. It is really a lovely romance.

I met some really lovely people in this book and I’d love to know what happens in their lives. I assume this is a trilogy – one book for each of the owners of the Duke’s Den – but after meeting these intriguing people, I’d like to learn more about them. There are Diana’s friends, Lady Sophronia Bales, Miss Grace Grinstead, and Lady Elizabeth Thorndyke as well as Diana’s brother Dominick who deserve their own stories. Maybe they’ll get their own stories or we’ll learn more in the series wrap-up.

I definitely recommend this lovely romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
...more

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May 02, 2019 Teresa (Reads_Romance) rated it it was ok

This was my first Christy Carlyle novel and I have to be honest, I was completely pulled in by the stunning cover and fun synopsis. Diana, our heroine, is an impoverished inventor looking to save her family by acquiring an investor for one of her creations. Aidan is a self-made man and investor (there was a Shark Tank-like scene in this book and I was here for it) attempting to get into the upper echelon of British society by marrying a debutante with connections. Aidan and Diana decide to help This was my first Christy Carlyle novel and I have to be honest, I was completely pulled in by the stunning cover and fun synopsis. Diana, our heroine, is an impoverished inventor looking to save her family by acquiring an investor for one of her creations. Aidan is a self-made man and investor (there was a Shark Tank-like scene in this book and I was here for it) attempting to get into the upper echelon of British society by marrying a debutante with connections. Aidan and Diana decide to help each other out, he finds her a buyer for her product, and she introduces him to ladies with whom he may suit. The story sounds charming right? It had so much potential, and I wish I enjoyed it more.

What I liked: I liked that Aidan wasn’t a rogue or rake, he was just a guy with a lot of money looking for his family; Diana really throws him for a loop. I also enjoyed how accepting he was of his love for her. He didn’t fight it and just let himself fall, which was refreshing.

What I didn’t like: Unfortunately this is quite a long list. First off, I thought the mystery of Aidan’s family was too secondary to the main plot. It had basically nothing to do with Diana or their relationship, or even the overall plot. You can skip every single part of the mystery and the book would still make sense. It felt like filler and a way to make Aidan a little more interesting because, to be honest, while I liked him in general, Aidan was pretty two dimensional.

Second off, I enjoyed Diana’s determination and ambition, but I did not enjoy her lack of emotional depth. Honestly, I have no idea how Aidan even fell in love with her because she gave him nothing back except a little bit of snark and mostly indifference. I thought about how I would feel if Diana was the hero and acted the way she did, and I was still mad. I didn’t connect with her character at all, she wasn’t even very warm with her friends. The only time I saw a hint of personality is when she interacted with her twin and that’s because he was the comedic relief in this book.

Lastly, while this was a quick read once I got into it, nothing about this plot or these characters struck my emotions. I really wanted to care about them, but I felt like I never got under the surface with any of them except Aiden, but even his romantic thoughts felt forced. Even the angst at the end seemed just thrown in there and was resolved within a chapter. Oh, and I forgot to mention how the mystery was solved (fizzled out), mostly because the mystery was so forgettable.

Overall, I am going to chalk this one up to just not working for me. This story had good bones but was thin on emotional depth or conflict. I am sure many people will enjoy strong Diana and her loving Aiden, I was just not one of them.

**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**

Find/Follow me on Twitter Instagram and my blog !! ...more

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Jan 22, 2019 Christie«SHBBblogger» rated it liked it

Shelves: slow-death-by-anticipation, part-of-a-series, set-in-england, advanced-copy, is-it-out-yet, historical, april2019

Title: Anything But a Duke
Series: Duke's Den #2
Author: Christy Carlyle
Release date: April 30, 2019
Cliffhanger: No
Genre: historical romance

After reading and loving A Duke Changes Everything, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the second book in the series. The Duke's Den series revolves around three friends who own a gambling club that the nobility and the lower class both frequent. Aidan is one third owner, and it was with his sharp instincts in investments as well as skill in profiting at ...more

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Jun 29, 2019 Candace rated it really liked it

Diana Ashby is an inventor, and the daughter of an inventor. ". . . just because she couldn't study at university like her brother and never be asked to speak at the Royal Society as her father had, that didn't mean her inventions weren't worth while."

Aiden Iverson is a self-made man, who is one-third owner of the Lyon's Gentlemen's Club, a gambling club. "Every penny and pound he possessed, he'd earned. On his own. He'd never taken a loan. He didn't incur debts. He had business partners, but he ...more

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Jun 30, 2019 Blodeuedd Finland rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, audiobook

Iverson is a selfmade man, known for taking chances and making money. But he is a commoner and some doors are closed. So he needs a noble lady to wed.

I did like him, ok so yes he is marrying for status, but the woman he would marry would probably only marry him for money. A match made in the ton. And all he does it for new inventions and the greater good.

There is also a tiny subplot where he tries to find out what happened to his mother and who she was.

Then there is Diana, an inventor, who ...more

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Apr 01, 2019 Douglas Meeks rated it really liked it

Well this series seems to be following a theme of strong women with men who might need a bit of calibration of their moral compass, once again we have Diana who is an inventor and brilliant in a world where women of intelligence are not really that respected.

Enter our roguish hero Aidan Iverson is partners in a gambling establishment that those of us who read the first book in the series A Duke Changes Everything will recognize. It is a good setting for men who walk a fine line between legal and ...more

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Apr 30, 2019 Lisarenee rated it it was amazing

>>>>>My Synopsis (Review follows):<<<<<
"Spinster. Alone. Aberration" Those were all words polite society had for Diana Ashby. Diana "felt an ever-present hunger. An ambition that she knew most thought improper for a lady. Yet it was a compulsion she couldn't deny. Her ideas were good and she longed to prove herself to those who would scoff at a woman inventor."

While Diana's family allowed her tinkering, they weren't exactly supportive of her pastime. "A waste of ...more

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May 08, 2019 Monique rated it it was amazing

Aidan Iverson had met Miss Diana Ashby a year ago when she had saved his hide. He hadn't known then who she was, but it took only a moment to recognise the lady who is asking for investors for her invention. Diana is passionate about her work, she wants to succeed, and her family desperately needs the money. Her mother doesn't quite approve, and she agreed to Diana's endeavour on one condition: if Diana fails to secure backers, she will need to marry a wealthy man. Aidan is a businessman, and Aidan Iverson had met Miss Diana Ashby a year ago when she had saved his hide. He hadn't known then who she was, but it took only a moment to recognise the lady who is asking for investors for her invention. Diana is passionate about her work, she wants to succeed, and her family desperately needs the money. Her mother doesn't quite approve, and she agreed to Diana's endeavour on one condition: if Diana fails to secure backers, she will need to marry a wealthy man. Aidan is a businessman, and coming from nothing, he will never have enough money, but two things matter more to him: find his mother and sister, and hopefully know who his father was. He also needs to establish himself in Society if he is to have access to places that, in spite of his wealth, remain closed to him. Diana, while a commoner, has aristocratic friends who need rich husbands. So Aidan and Diana shake on it. If only they could forget about that one impulsive kiss...

In ANYTHING BUT A DUKE, Christy Carlyle displays all the qualities that have made her a favourite author of mine. Unlike Huntley, I can't say that Aidan had made such a strong impression on me in the first installment of The Duke's Den, but Ms. Carlyle certainly rose to the occasion to present us with a wonderful hero. Although he does have a temper, Aidan is well-mannered, kind, and most appreciative of Diana's talents. I love that the romance was unhurried, and evolved organically, respecting the constraints of the Victorian era. There is no lack of chemistry between Aidan and Diana, but it resides in meaningful looks, straightforward exchanges, light touches; everything that I find truly romantic. Aidan and Diana also enjoy a first class supporting cast: Diana's rogue of a brother, Dominick (I loved him!); her friends Grace, and Ladies Elizabeth and Sophronia; and let's not forget the irresistible Huntley! I loved Diana's persistence; she is determined to succeed, but not pushy or unduly reckless. And Aidan was enchanting; he is everything I look for in a hero; he surprised me in the best way. I also loved how his search for his family was handled; it was present but did not overshadow the romance.

ANYTHING BUT A DUKE is a superbly well balanced story, evenly paced, and chock full of pertinent and entertaining historical details. The writing flows effortlessly as the author lets the characters act and speak for themselves. The first sex scene, I'm afraid, brought my rating down a little bit. It's beautifully done, but I felt Aidan and especially Diana behaved somewhat out of character. We know how it will end, but at that point, they didn't. There was also an issue with one of Diana's friends that was left dangling, or I maybe I missed something...As much as I nearly swoon every time I look at the spectacular cover by the inimitable Jon Paul Ferrara, you can safely judge this book by its cover, because I feel it represents perfectly the tone of the book, and reflects the beautiful romance within.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I give 4 1/2 stars. ...more

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Apr 25, 2019 Tracy Emro rated it it was amazing

Shelves: edelweiss

4.5 stars rounded up.

Diana Ashby is an inventor who has earned the distinction of being the first woman ever invited to present her invention to the "Duke's Den" for investment consideration. She is nervous and her model is damaged when she collides with Aidan Iverson - the very man she saved in an alleyway last year and has been unable to forget. She composes herself and gives her presentation for her invention - a cleaning device, but none of the men will commit to funding her project. She 4.5 stars rounded up.

Diana Ashby is an inventor who has earned the distinction of being the first woman ever invited to present her invention to the "Duke's Den" for investment consideration. She is nervous and her model is damaged when she collides with Aidan Iverson - the very man she saved in an alleyway last year and has been unable to forget. She composes herself and gives her presentation for her invention - a cleaning device, but none of the men will commit to funding her project. She returns home and is greeted by her school friends who are planning a reunion and insist she attend. After they leave she is confronted by her mother. Her mother tells her it is time to stop tinkering and to find a husband. She begs for one more month to sell her cleaning device and if she fails, promises to dedicate herself to finding a match. She hatches a plan and writes to Aidan.

Aidan Iverson is a rich man with humble beginnings, beginnings he has spent lots of time and money trying to uncover, unsuccessfully. He longs for acceptance and thinks that marrying a noblewoman will provide him with the connections that even his enormous wealth can't buy. But his attempts to find a bride on his own have failed. So when he gets Diana's letter, he gets an idea. Aidan has never forgotten Diana or the kiss they shared that night. He was delighted to see her and finally learn who she was and is eager to meet with her.

They strike a deal, she will help him find a well-connected bride and he will fund her invention and find a buyer for it. If she fails to find him a bride, she must agree to marry him herself. She agrees, but says she not noble enough for him and can't provide the connections he so desperately wants.

What follows is a delightful story, with wonderful characters, moments of heartache, incredibly amusing interchanges and steamy love scenes. I loved the development of Aidan and Diana's relationship, the sacrifices that they were both willing to make to give the other their dreams and the moment when they realize that being together is their true heart's desire - Sigh... The book is well written, perfectly paced and easy to read. It is the second book in the series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone title with no problem. I am happy to recommend this book and am looking forward to Huntley's story!!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC provided to my by Edelweiss and the Publisher* ...more

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May 03, 2019 Elodie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was my first read by Mrs Christy Carlyle, I confess I passed on it because there were too many releases on its release day but then I read the blurb, and I’m a sucker for the scholar/geek trope.
Plus, for once it was about a commoner and not a duke!
I quite liked this read, it was different from the last historical romances I had read so far, and not set on the regency period even if to me I didn’t see real changes but I’m no history professor.
I loved Aiden Iverson, he raised himself from the ...more

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Jun 30, 2019 Mariana rated it really liked it

Shelves: library, regency, bluestocking, friends-to-lovers

I read this in one day. I enjoyed both books 1 and 2 and definitely plan to finish reading the trilogy once the final book is released.

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Apr 17, 2019 Joana V. rated it really liked it

Shelves: meus, inglês, e-book, edelweiss, arc

I received an eARC at no cost from the author, in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. Thank you.

Review originally posted at Romancing Romances

3.75*

I love books with self-made heroes/heroines. And this book has both!

It was interesting to see how Diana worked hard to not lose focus, and to present her work in the best way.

I really like the kind of story that is about “deals” to find a husband/wife for the opposite character. And this is that kind of book.

It’s always amusing to see them ...more

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May 19, 2019 Marlene rated it really liked it

Originally published at Reading Reality

I picked up Anything But a Duke because I absolutely adored the first book in the Duke’s Den series, A Duke Changes Everything. So naturally I wanted to see what happened next to the Duke’s Den gambling den and investors’ club.

While the two things that go on in the Duke’s Den may seem like opposites, they also aren’t. Because the three owners of the Duke’s Den, Nicholas Lyon (hero of A Duke Changes Everything), Aiden Iverson (the hero of our current tale) ...more

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May 01, 2019 Cyndi Becker rated it really liked it

After having experienced some initial disconnect with the characters, I found I enjoyed this Historical romance. Set in the 1840's, London is experiencing transformation, high society is a bit in flux, and our characters Aidan Iverson and Diana Ashby are a part of it.

Aidan's and Diana have a sort of second chance to get to know each other after a brief encounter a year earlier. When they meet again, the situation is a unique one, it's a sort of modern shark tank situation with Aidan as a ...more

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Apr 10, 2019 MrsMascara rated it liked it

Lighthearted Victorian romance that was an enjoyable read, with a inventor heroine.

Diana is a very unusual woman, from the minor gentry, she doesn’t want to marry, she wants to restore her family’s fortunes by making money through her inventions.

Inspired by her late father’s talents, she wants to succeed where he had failed, He ran through the family ones pursuing useless ideas.

She literally bumps into Aiden, and helps to rescue him from a couple of Footpads.

Aiden is an orphaned boy who escaped ...more

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Mar 16, 2019 Niki rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, best-heroes, steamy, great-covers, arc, hero-is-illegitimate, swoonworthy

Although self-made man Aidan Iverson has attained wealth and gained power, especially through his partial ownership in Lyon's Gentleman's Club, his uncertain birth and clear lack of title leave him barred from certain circles. Regardless of his business acumen, his inferior birth means that no matter what he could potentially contribute to society, he remains on the outskirts of polite society. Aidan pulled himself up from the workhouse where his mother left him and he won't accept loans or Although self-made man Aidan Iverson has attained wealth and gained power, especially through his partial ownership in Lyon's Gentleman's Club, his uncertain birth and clear lack of title leave him barred from certain circles. Regardless of his business acumen, his inferior birth means that no matter what he could potentially contribute to society, he remains on the outskirts of polite society. Aidan pulled himself up from the workhouse where his mother left him and he won't accept loans or incur debts from anyone. He wants to make it on his own terms but now it seems the best way to ingratiate himself in society is to marry an eligible highborn lady.

Well-educated granddaughter of a wealthy baronet, Miss Diana Ashby is everything a proper lady should be, apart from her scientific and decidedly unladylike interest in inventing. She has no desire to marry, at least not yet, and only wants to be left alone with her work.

As a partner in the Duke's Den, Aidan receives many applications from hopeful inventors in search of funding and when Diana appears to present her invention, the two wind up with a different sort of deal: Aidan will help her find investors and she'll help him find a noble wife. If she fails, at the end of one month's time she will marry Aidan herself. As the two spend more time together in collaboration, Aidan realizes that Diana is all he's wanted all along but convincing her that she means more to him than his ambitions may prove impossible.

Aidan views marriage as a very logical business transaction but he truly longs for a family and for answers about his origins. Diana wants to make up for her father's mistakes by creating an invention that will help her family's dwindling finances; she has no time for fanciful notions of love. She began to get on my nerves a bit toward the end but I loved Aidan and I couldn't put this book down. It was a great read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ...more

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May 04, 2019 Sissy's Romance Book Review rated it it was amazing

Shelves: trt, series, arc-edelweiss, 5-star, avon, friends-to-lovers, 2019-read

Anything But a Duke by Christy Carlyle is Book Two in The Duke's Den Series. This is the story of Diana Ashby and Aidan Iverson. I have read the previous book (and Loved it) but feel you can make this a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Aidan had a harsh start to the world when he and his sister were just left at a work house. But he has gotten them out of that and now he is very rich man and is a part of the Duke's Den, but the one thing he can't break into is aristocratic Society. Diana ...more

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May 01, 2019 Jessica Grogan rated it liked it

Overall, I found this to be a good read and I loved Diana but I found a few things lacking.

As I said, I loved Diana. I love heroines that are more than just ladies waiting to get married. In fact, Diana was the opposite. She never wanted to get married. Ever. And I loved that she did more with her life than go to balls.

That being said, I felt like Aidan had very little personality. There was nothing really of interest about him for me except the mystery of where he came from. And that fell far ...more

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May 02, 2019 Hasnamezied rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-romance, best-covers, mr-darcy, 2019

4 lovely Stars.

I liked this book a lot, the build up romance was great

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May 09, 2019 Connie Fischer rated it really liked it

Shelves: goodreads-wins

London - 1845

Diana Ashby is off to attend a scientific lecture presented by a past tutor she had. Her interest lies in being an inventor and she spends most of the day in her workshop. Her father had been the second son of a baronet which had afforded her a good education. However, the man had not managed the family funds well and now they are in need of money.

Diana’s twin brother, Dominick, tends to spend most of his time gambling and drinking himself into a stupor. While her mother has tried London - 1845

Diana Ashby is off to attend a scientific lecture presented by a past tutor she had. Her interest lies in being an inventor and she spends most of the day in her workshop. Her father had been the second son of a baronet which had afforded her a good education. However, the man had not managed the family funds well and now they are in need of money.

Diana’s twin brother, Dominick, tends to spend most of his time gambling and drinking himself into a stupor. While her mother has tried to be understanding of her desire to be an inventor, she now tells her that it is time that she marries a wealthy man.

Aiden Iverson is looking for what might have happened to his mother, or even who she was, before abandoning he and his sister at a workhouse. Today, Aiden is a very wealthy man because he worked hard and invested wisely. He is also the third owner of Lyon’s Gentleman’s Club. Yet even with all of his money, his lack of nobility ends up with doors shut in his face. Thus, his friends tell him he needs to wed a noble bride.

Lyon’s holds events that allows inventors to display their inventions and if Lyon’s is interested, they may offer investment money. When Diana shows a household vacuum system to them, she is furious when the unit is dropped and broken, thus not allowing her to demonstrate it. But she is very persistent and asks Aiden to visit her workshop so she can demonstrate it there. He is unsure if he wants to invest in it because he usually goes with much larger projects, such as bridges. So, when she learns from him that he needs to marry a titled lady, she promises to introduce him to her friends. If it results in marriage, he will then fund her invention.

Both Diana and Aiden are strong, intelligent, and hard-working, In addition, they are attracted to one another yet Diana feels that her situation does not fulfill what Aiden seeks. Is that true or are they both holding back?

I really enjoyed this story and found the plot to be a bit unusual, but very well crafted. I am sure that readers will like this book.

Copy provided by Edelweiss and Goodreads in exchange for a fair and honest review. ...more

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May 03, 2019 Gaele rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed, edelweiss, avon, historic, avon-addicts

The second book in this series focuses on Aiden, friend to both Nick from A Duke Changes Everything and Rhys, who’s story is yet to be told. These three are rich and determined, if not always ‘palatable’ to the tastemakers in London society. As we learned from Nick’s story, it is more a matter of finding a woman who both intrigues and accepts them, with the ability to rein in their most ‘common’ impulses. And that, in itself makes for an interesting clash of wills between the two. But Aiden, a The second book in this series focuses on Aiden, friend to both Nick from A Duke Changes Everything and Rhys, who’s story is yet to be told. These three are rich and determined, if not always ‘palatable’ to the tastemakers in London society. As we learned from Nick’s story, it is more a matter of finding a woman who both intrigues and accepts them, with the ability to rein in their most ‘common’ impulses. And that, in itself makes for an interesting clash of wills between the two. But Aiden, a self-made man with a desire for an aristocratic match and all the trappings that entails. He’s got the riches, his partnership with Nick in the gambling clubs has brought that, but the ‘self-made man of business’ so revered in today’s world was seen by the aristo classes as nothing more than an up-jumped commoner: a merchant and useful only when and if he can be controlled by his desire to be ‘accepted’ into the lofty world of the tonne.

Diana Ashby is from the world Aiden so wants to be a part of, and as a ‘woman of marriageable age’ is the perfect target for his plans. Not being born to a title isn’t too much to ask, if one can marry into the family and thus gain the entrance into those hallowed levels. But she wants no part of marriage or even romance, she has more important things to do. Diana is an inventor, smart, clever, determined and utterly her own woman, unconcerned with the whims and wishes of society and the constraints with which they would bind her. But, perhaps there is a happy middle -she can help Aiden find the entrance to society, and a bride, and she can walk away unscathed and unmet by the altar. He will invest in her ideas: giving her some respectability and cache as an inventor of note, a goal her father never achieved. She agrees to help him and pushes his very distractibility and their obvious compatibility to the side to continue her work.

Oh this was fun – both Aiden and Diana are wonderful together and feel like the perfect match, even as she has no desire to be married. Moments when they are together sparkle, and the burn is there, even as both tend to ignore it as their eyes are on different goals. Much of the book is involving us with a family that Aiden never knew he had, and their struggles and needs push the conflicts and the connection with Diana further along. I do wish more of their relationship and times together in quiet moments were more frequent, but from the start the intrigue between the two, and their obvious match for one another in intelligence and determination is evident and clear. It’s going to take some doing (and plenty of thought) for their connection to come to fruition, but like all of Carlyle’s books, the read is a wonderful one and very entertaining. The usual angst, struggles and distractions appear, without huge swathes of heat and steamy moments on the page, but the underlying burn felt by them both is clearly present and encourages readers to cheer on this couple to a very happy, and quite fitting end.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
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Apr 29, 2019 Janet rated it really liked it

4.25 Stars
Aidan Iverson doesn’t know who his family is but he's a self made man, risen from the streets after running from the workhouse. He’s a part owner of the elite Duke’s Den, he has all the money he could possibly need. If roguish Aidan can’t buy his way into society’s hallowed halls, he’ll resort to a more extreme measure: marriage. Brought up to be a proper lady, the only thing Diana Ashby desires is to be left alone to the creation of her own devices.
Aidan & Diana first meet when he ...more

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Apr 30, 2019 Maria Dariotis rated it it was amazing

Anything but a Duke
Duke’s Den book 2
by Christy Carlyle

Aidan Iverson has a mission in life, to marry into the peerage. He’s amassed a vast fortune but has been shunned more than he’d like to admit, his plan to marry a LADY will finally open doors for him.

Diana Ashby is a lady fallen on hard times, her passion for inventing things keeps her from the marriage mart. Promising her mother that this latest creation is her last. But things don’t always turn as we plan. Taking her latest creation to The ...more

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Apr 03, 2019 Norah Gibbons rated it really liked it

I received an ARC of this book to read through Edelweiss+ in exchange for a fair review. Anything But a Duke by Christy Carlyle is the second book in her Duke’s Den series. This one could be read as a stand-alone, but I did enjoy reading the first one and recommend it.
Aiden Iverson is a self made man, abandoned in a workhouse as a child he has become a successful business man who provides funding to inventors. He and Diana first meet when he is attacked by a couple of thugs and she comes ...more

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May 11, 2019 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Entertaining, short, but rather forgettable. I finished this one a week ago and already barely remember it.

Aidan runs the Duke's Den aka Dragon's Den of inventions with his two besties. Diana's an inventor (of the vacuum) and she wants them to sponsor her invention. They don't, but she ends up making a deal with Aidan: she'll introduce him to society women (so he can marry someone who can get him into an elite society invention expo thing) and he'll put money toward her invention. If she can't ...more

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Apr 20, 2019 nikkia neil rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss, hist-romance

Christy Carlyle knows how to keep her readers in suspense til you want to pull your hair out. This is a romance with all the right notes to make you tingle. Can't wait for more of this series.

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Sep 11, 2019 jenni rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, romance

a quaint love story featuring a vacuum

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Jun 10, 2019 Austine (NovelKnight) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-releases

This book was provided by the publisher (via Edelweiss). This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

After reading A Duke Changes Everything , I was excited to dive intoAnything But a Duke. Once more, Carlyle gives us a heroine challenging societal norms and a hero who's been hurt and in need of healing. For some reason, I just love this kind of story and Carlyle's writing especially.

For starters, we have a female inventor as a protagonist! I loved Diana. She's
This book was provided by the publisher (via Edelweiss). This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

After reading A Duke Changes Everything , I was excited to dive into Anything But a Duke. Once more, Carlyle gives us a heroine challenging societal norms and a hero who's been hurt and in need of healing. For some reason, I just love this kind of story and Carlyle's writing especially.

For starters, we have a female inventor as a protagonist! I loved Diana. She's smart and driven and has this strength to her that came right off the page. Her father left an emotional mark on her life in more ways than one but she's persevered to do right by her family and her own conscious. I couldn't help but want her to succeed, especially when she was faced with a decision that could destroy her dreams.

Counter to her, Aidan is a self-made man who understands the value of hard work and has raised himself up but still faces the roadblock that is society. I liked that he was honest with his feelings, his opinions, all of it. The dynamic between him and Diana felt real, if rushed by the timeline of the book. Each was faced with a societal expectation that they couldn't meet without giving something up and I was so happy when the relationship grew to the point of acceptance of their feelings for each other.

Diana's part of the story, either receiving funding for her inventions or giving them up entirely and marrying to help her family, was the more interesting of the two plots for me. She had a motive behind everything she did and I could root for her as she faced real challenges. In contrast, Aidan's subplot of looking for his mother never carried the same weight despite being the more emotionally interesting of the two. I never quite cared enough because it came in and out of the main story so quickly. I felt like it wasn't developed enough and there more to fill pages.

That said, I enjoyed this book just as much as the first in terms of the romance. Diana and Aidan have chemistry, they're well suited, and I enjoyed their dynamic on page, both during the more heated moments as well as everyday interactions. I do wish their romance hadn't been as rushed since I felt the beginning of the book moved quite slowly compared to the rest and their relationship could have been a bit less insta-lusty. But I still liked it. And I'll definitely be picking up the third book in the series which I'm hoping features the third co-owner of the den!

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About Christy Carlyle

Christy Carlyle

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Fueled by Pacific Northwest coffee and inspired by multiple viewings of every British costume drama she can get her hands on, USA Today bestselling author Christy Carlyle writes sensual historical romance set in the Victorian era. She loves heroes who struggle against all odds and heroines who are ahead of their time. A former teacher with a degree in history, she finds there's nothing better than ...more