This was so cute, I'm so glad I got a copy!

The story begins with the Duke of Westcliffe in a troubled situation. Anthony Gibbs finds himself and his friends in financial ruin after losing their fathers and spending the years behaving wasteful in grief. They consider marriage as an option but then Anthony luckily meets Ada Quinn, our female lead. They decide to write a book instead.

Ada works secretly in her uncle's bookshop. She has no means of her own, and so she lives there too. She has an instant connection with Anthony, however she does not know he is a duke, I liked her caring and intelligent character a lot, The uncle was definitely the best side character though!

I also loved how honest the male lead is about his finances to Ada. Their discussions and Ada's advice on romance novels were fun to read about, and were pretty accurate! Of course, the Pride and Prejuidce mention won my heart. There is a misunderstanding in the third act, but it resolves and all is well with their relationship. This was a closed door romance.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the books in the Gentleman Authors series !

Thank you Sophie Barnes and Netgalley for providing an ARC. I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Anthony and his friends, all dukes, are broke. When he stops to buy a book in a small bookstore he is captivated by the woman who helps him. When Ada suggests they write a romance book he is intrigued. Spending time together he realizes he must marry her. Ada, however, is not very confident the ton will accept her. I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review.

This is the first book in a new series, The Gentleman:s Author series. It introduces 3 Dukes who have blown thru their inheritance and are trying to figure out how to make money.
Anthony, the Duke of Westcliffe, has twin sisters getting ready to make their debut into society. He needs some how to make money. He decides to stop in a bookstore to purchase a book. That would be an inexpensive way to entertain himself. This is where he meet Ada.
There is an instant attraction there. They have a very lively discussion on books, specifically Romance books, Jane Austen books.
This gives Anthony an idea of how he can make money without technically going into trade. He and his 2 other friends will write a book. He asks Ada to help him with the process, proof reading and editing.
As a result a beautiful romance blooms.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next in the series.
5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Sophie Barnes has created a light, enjoyable romp in Regency England with A Duke’s Guide to Romance when she takes a tried and true formula, turns it around, then adds the easy to love characters Ada Quinn and the beleaguered Anthony Gibbs, Duke of Westcliffe as they discover the way to love, through the pages of a book.
Ada likes to live a very quiet life behind the scenes or rather the books in her beloved Uncle’s Bookshop, Between the Pages. She enjoys reading and carrying out her work as a bookbinder for her Uncle. What she does not enjoy is that should she be caught, not only working in the bookstore but reading the books she, along with her Uncle could very easily be ostracised from Society.
That would not bother her unduly but it would have a detrimental effect on her Uncle’s business. Then along comes Mr Gibbs, who really can’t afford to buy any more books as he is in financial distress. He enters the bookstore to brows the stock. Ada thinks is a closed shop and is looking for a book to read when one falls on her head.
One small chance meeting goes on to be the creative force behind the Duke and his friends, who have spent most of their inheritances on living the fast life, in the wake of their collective father’s passing. They are all desperate to find a means to making some serious money.
Jane Austen’s death has left a gap in the ‘romance’ market and after a considerably lengthy and fascinating conversation, Ada suggest that perhaps the Duke writes a romance novel! This leads he and his friends to take up the challenge, only to realise it is far harder than they think.
Well-constructed with a somewhat quirky plot line A Dukes Guide to Romance is the perfect antidote to cold wet afternoons or for a long lazy day on the beach. It is captivating, charming and sets the scene well for the further romances to follow, as the Duke’s friends are still searching for a way to solve their financial difficulties.
Sophie Barnes has included a very tantalising teaser at the end of the book.

This book is the first of what appears to be a promising series. Three down on their luck young men put their heads together hoping to find a way to restore their lost fortunes. The first of them, Anthony has a chance encounter with Ada at her uncle's bookstore. They discover that they share a love of books. Ada inspires Anthony and his friends to begin work on writing a book with the aim of generating an income.
Just as the friendship of Anthony and Ada begins to blossom into something more, a jealous person interferes and makes Ada doubt Anthony's sincerity. Fortunately, the misunderstanding gets resolved quickly and wedding bells are not far behind.
This was a delightful read with witty dialogue. The characters were simply drawn and I felt empathetic towards both of them. The progression of their relationship was believable. The story was light on the steam and appropriate for younger readers. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Please note that I did not download the book from NetGalley. I requested it in error as I had already received a copy from BookSprout.

The book was received from NetGalley

My review consists of my thoughts and opinions alone as well as possibly some spoilers.

4.5 out of 5 stars

What a refreshing historical romance! Often in a historical romance, there is a heavy attraction that often leads to scandals or private sessions between the couple before marriage.

What Anthony and Ada did was different. They met while Anthony visit Ada's uncle's shop spotting a book in the window that caught his eye. Ada isn't supposed to be working down there for unmarried women are not welcome to work in a trade shop. Ada is the niece of the owner and avid book lover which Anthony share with her.

Anthony and his friends need money and they search for the right way to do it. Anthony, with the help of Ada and his two Duke friends, come to the idea of writing a romance novel.

It rather was silly but as I continued, I love how this book made me cozy vibes and romance without heavy sexual tension involved. It was all based on good old fashion romance. The book consists drama with another woman which I happen to think was well done.

Additional items I love was the detail that the author took to write to describe the process of bookbinding. I enjoyed how the author took time to establish relationships and their importance to the couple individually and with each other. Nothing rushed.

The couple made sense to me and I love how Anthony pursued Ada. There was a difference in social class that is often in HR reads. The class difference usually is a big part of the problem for the couple. It was a part of this couple but not fully. It was overall a sweet couple.

If I had to pick something I didn't enjoy, it would be the last chapter focusing on a different character that will be the main heroine for the next book. I wasn't ready to see the end of this couple. I wanted an epilogue.

Overall, I love that this felt cozy and easy to read. I never heard of this author before and will be moving on to the next book.

This was a sweet (not totally clean, one main scene at the end) book that is an easy read. I liked both MC's and thought the progression of the relationship worked. There was a small bit with a villain trying to keep them apart.

My only real beef with the story was 3 men who had no history of being writers could somehow author a novel that they think will sell as well as Jane Austen. They wrote said book in just a few weeks. It was a bit too unrealistic.

Impoverished duke Anthony is worrying about how to secure funds for his sisters’ future debut and is considering a marriage to a wealthy daughter of a viscount. He stumbles upon a bookshop and meets the charming young lady, Ada, who works and lives there with her uncle. At first, he hides the fact that he’s a duke and enjoys a friendship with Ada. She makes an observation that romance novels (like those from Jane Austen) sell quite well, and Anthony takes the idea back to his two friends and propose that they should write a romance novel together to sell for money. Anthony and Ada continue their friendship and he does ultimately tell her who she is. It’s a relatively sweet development of their relationship, despite their differences in social station. There’s some meddling and scheming from the lady that Anthony is purportedly courting, but that eventually gets resolved with some open communication. Overall, an interesting start to this series of gentlemen authors.

Such a unique book, I loved the plot, and oh my god the characters we're so amazing!! I definitely will be recommending it!!

Loved reading the amazing and awesome romance story. When Anthony Gibbs, the Duke of Westcliffe, meets Ada, Anthony gets the idea for him and his friends to write a romance novel and asks Ada for help. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written with an engaging storyline, captivating characters, and a must read riveting romance.

A chance meeting leads to the love of his life!

A wonderful sweet tender romance with great characters, the storyline was different and I enjoyed the concept of three Dukes, best friends getting together to write a book to get them out of debt and how they interact within the story.

Anthony and Ada’s romance into love was entertaining and filled with misunderstandings until they find their own HEA.

I’m looking forward to the next in the trilogy to see how the next Duke finds the woman he’s meant to be with.
If you’re a fan of sweet, tender regency romances, this is one for you!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Anthony, Duke of Westcliffe, faces financial ruin unless he marries for money. He meets Ada, a charming bookbinder he cannot afford to wed. She proposes he write a novel to supplement his income. As Anthony loses his heart to the bookish beauty, he faces difficult choices if he hopes to make Ada his duchess.

This sweet confection of a story will delight fans of Jane Austen and Regency romance. The main characters are likeable, and it's amusing to see Anthony and his friends struggle to write a novel. Ada is a little impetuous, jumping to conclusions when she thinks she has a rival. But all's well that ends well in this endearing novella.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

*3.5 stars ✨

This is a very short sweet romance. Class differences, but with a charming hero that doesn’t care what society thinks. Ada who is a bookbinder for her uncle’s bookshop, who is nothing but kindness. A third act breakup to add some conflict. Liked it, & will read the next two books.

The three new dukes find themselves in a poor state having spent their money without thought to how they will fill the purse again and Anthony has two sisters to start their season without proper funds. He meets Ada whose uncle owns a bookstore. After talking to her he thinks the three needs to write a story along the lines of Jane Austen.
They fall in love and though she hasn't a proper dowry they love each other dearly. Though Miss Starling is a thorn in their side they work that out in the way of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Thank you NetGalley for a fun love story.

A very enjoyable romance set just after Jane Austen’s time, with no expletives, and only a pg rating. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially as it was so different from the many other stories set in the era. It’s part of a trilogy, yet each one can stand alone, however I feel I must read the next one to find out whether the novel was a hit or not. I would recommend, and will be looking out for the next one in the series

A gentle and entertaining Regency Romance. I loved all the literary references. Although I thought the idea of three gentlemen managing to write a romantic novel together quite hilarious. It did make me smile.

This book was unexpectedly sweet and entertaining. The story between a Duke in ruin and a girl who is intelligent and creative is a lovely story that will definitely make you want to read about the other beat friends of the Duke in these series. I was just sorry to not be able to read an epilogue where I could learn more about the book they wrote together or about Ada’s uncle story, like why he was a gentleman at all? for example. I guess I’ll definitely be getting the following book.
I liked very much the author’s note at the end where it explains the income the authors of that era got from their work. Nice piece of information! Thanks.

This is an interesting, cute story about 3 dukes whose fathers all died in a horrible accident. All three dukedoms are in financial trouble, and they need to find ways to make money.

Ada, who lives with her uncle above his bookstore and does the bookbinding for him, meets Anthony, Gibbs, The Duke of Westcliffe when he comes into the shop. He is using the name Mr. Gibbs, so she has no idea he is a duke. There is an immediate connection between the two of them. He is the type of man she has always wanted, and he is very attracted to her.

There are a few twists and turns and a particularly not nice character that make this a very enjoyable read. I loved the chemistry between Ada and Anthony.

It is not your typical historical romance and is a very entertaining read. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

I read this book in one sitting. It is a truly adorable story, especially since it includes a bookshop and 3 Dukes writing a romance novel! The Duke's fathers all died together, so they were quite unprepared and somehow are now in debt. They set out to figure out a way to earn money without marrying only for money.
This will be a trilogy and I can't wait to read the next two.
Anthony Gibbs enters a bookshop to buy a copy of Rob Roy and meets Ada Quinn, the niece of the owner. This a meet cute. After some misunderstandings, they get a very happy ending.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC. I highly recommend this book to all romance and Jane Austen lovers.

i liked this book a lot although it went pretty fast to getting to the HEA. I look forward to seeing the other characters and hope to see the sisters too in future books.