A Duke's Introduction to Courtship by Sophie Barnes is the 2nd book in The Gentlemen Authors series and features the story of Harriet Michaels and Brody Evans, the Duke of Corwin who after finding himself rather low on funds poses as a working man at a publishing press. There he meets the men working the printers and finds himself being pulled towards Harry Michaels. Harry being truly Harriet who works supporting herself and her younger sister soon has Brody in a tizzy. This is because he finds himself having some rather inappropriate thoughts about the young man who works the press so skillfully. Harry on the other hand also all of a sudden finds herself in some rather heated situations since the coming of Mr. Evans at the publishers employe. This book will have you laughing, sighing and ultimately rooting for a HEA for Brody and Harriet because they’re so lovably written and well developed. This review was given on the ARC copy received from the Publisher via NetGallery in return for my honest opinion.

A charming, witty, and entertaining romance novel. I loved Harriet and Brody’s relationship. A unique plot.
Many thanks to Book Buzz and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Brody and Harriet are so funny! I really enjoyed this book and did not want to put it down. Anxiously awaiting the next Gentleman Authors book to arrive!

I love this series by Barnes. The characters are well-developed. The pacing is great. And the plot are fresh and interesting. I can't recommend them highly enough.

Such a cozy little book! Harry and Brody are couple goals. I mean, yes, they have a communication problem... but they are everything I would love to have in a partner. And that relationship grows a lot after those communication issues are addressed. I would love to read more from you.

This book takes place with a Duke concealing his identity to get work in a printing press so that he can get the novel he and his friends wrote published. This was an interesting way for members of the upper class to earn money.
I liked how the Duke was open to his attraction to the printer even though he had never felt attracted to a "male" before. Harriet was independent and resourceful which I enjoyed and did everything she could to be self-sufficient almost to a fault.
This was an engaging fun read that I would recommend.
I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have this tendency of not looking if a book is a series or a stand alone and end up reading book part of a series, this was the case again, and i actually had to look for some context because there is a quest and it is part of the story so i was missing some context.


It was a good read.

A Duke introduction to Courtship was a difficult book for me to review. I read the first book of the series and was somehow disappointed by this one when I expected something of a stronger plot.

I advised you to read the first book first even if you could read it a standalone, it’s good to have the knowledge of the plan the Duke of Corwin and his friends need to achieve in order to understand the story better. This is a light story you could easily pick up on a rainy day when you just want to relax and that’s it.

Just to bring you into context, there are three friends, Anthony Gibbs, Duke of Westcliffe, Brody Evans, Duke of Corwin and Callum Davis, Duke of Stratton and on the other side, Ada Quinn, Harriet Michaels, and Emily Brooke. The Dukes know each other from infancy through the friendship of their fathers, and the girls know each other through different circumstances of live. Each one of the men will by chance meet the girls and their story will be told in every book of the series. Even though each story is unique, they are all intertwined at the end and all the characters appear frequently in their stories. So, just for that reason alone I advise you to read it in order.

Hope you enjoy it!

A Duke's Introduction to Courtship by Sophie Barnes was an historical romance, the second book in a series called Gentleman Authors. The book focused on Brody Evans, Duke of Corwin.  With his pals, Brody wrote a romance novel.  They hoped that the novel will help them earn back money they so foolishly spent when they were younger.  

Harriet Michaels found work with a printer, as a male.  She discovered that that pretense was important to allow her to make a living to keep both her and her sister alive in London.  She is desperate to keep her secret despite the various struggles. 

Brody wanted to have a publisher read the book, when he ran across a job for an assistant editor reading the first chapters of novels looking for a great read.  He worked for the publisher for several days when he slipped his book in the queue for reading.  

Meanwhile he met Harry Michaels and found himself inexplicably drawn to the young man.  This threw Brody into a crisis, after all he has always been drawn to females.  The twists and turns of the story would eventually reveal the truths and Brody and “Harry” were a couple meant for each other. 

A Duke's Introduction to Courtship by Sophie Barnes was a good read.

What a hot mess! How did no one see that a woman was t traipsing around as a man? And how could anyone believe that they were suddenly attracted to the same gender when they had never felt anything like it in their entire lives. Very unbelievable and soooo many other authors have done the woman disguised as a man so much better.

This book is a captivating read. Brody and Harriet, the two main characters, were endearing to me. They are two lovely characters. This novel is a page-turner. I've been trying to find out how Brody and Harriet will ultimately demonstrate their attraction and love for each other throughout my reading. Their secrets provide some entertaining and funny moments in this book. This book is a pleasant read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

*3.5 stars ✨

In the second book in this trilogy, we meet Harriet who is posing as a boy to make a living. Enter Brody, who is a Duke in financial difficulties, he gets a job where “Harry” works. In surprising fashion, Brody falls for Harry…..let the shenanigans begin. This was another short, sweet story from Sophie. I liked Harriet & Brody, and the unique storyline.

What an unexpected and fun story. This one will grab you from the start. So many twists and turns you will be on the edge of your seat. Deceit and secrets that seem destined to unravel when they follow their hearts.
Brody Evans, hides his identity when taking a job in the printing press. Trying to save his family, he will do all he can to make things right for his family again. He didn't expect to meet Mr.Michaels who also works at the press. He can’t fight feelings that keep growing for him even though he knows its dangerous and considered wrong. WHat he didn’t know was Mr. Michaels was actually Harriet Michaels who has had to disguise herself as a boy to work and survive. Now she is attracted to Brody. Will they get past all the secrets and the reasons.
Totally unexpected story and great writing that once again Sohpie Barnes has delivered the perfect historical romance you won't be able to put it down. You won’t want to. You're going to love this adventure.

An interesting take, especially in historical romances. I enjoyed it. It was entertaining for sure. It did move pretty fast pace wise, and that made it seem like there some aspects of the romance that were skipped or sped through at times.

I thought this was a refreshing read and unique read. Admittedly, after finishing it , I went and looked at the author's other books too!

ARC provided by NetGalley, and I have given my honest review.

This is book 2 of the Gentlemen Authors series. I read the first of this series and quite enjoyed it. The storyline is unique, you have three Lords who have squandered their fortunes heedlessly and now are in dire straights so they come up with the idea of writing a romance novel to help them gain the funds they are sorely lacking!
This second installment reinforces the storyline.. This is Brody, the Duke of Corwin's story. Faced with mounting debt thanks to his brother, when he is confronted by money lenders demanding payment, he seeks employment in a publishing house where he meets "Harry". They form an immediate friendship, one that eventually has Brody uncomfortable and questioning himself.
I enjoyed the humorous slant the storyline took, it kept it entertaining and light-!!hearted, which is good to hold interest throughout. This was a totally enjoyable read from page one till the end. I look forward to the next in this series, two Dukes down, one Duke to go!!
Thank you to Sophie Barnes and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Sophie Barnes' "The Duke's Introduction to Courtship" is the second book in the Gentlemen Authors series, following the story of Brody Evans, the Duke of Corwin. Brody's story continues from where the first book left off, as he and his two other Duke friends look to publish a romance novel they have written together.

Harriet, also known as Harry, pretends to be a man to secure better employment and support herself and her younger sister after their parents' passing left them destitute. Harry enjoys her job at a print shop, which helps her care for her sister.

Brody is a Duke who has squandered his estate's money and fortune, as has his younger brother. To get their romance novel published, he takes a job at a print shop where he can use his influence to get their book considered for publication.

Harry and Brody feel a spark between them from the moment they meet. Over time, this causes Brody to question himself and his attraction to a man.

Overall, the book is a delightful, witty, and entertaining read with a great cast of characters who add to the story's charm.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sophie Barnes has been a go to for a while and this book doesn't disappoint.
Harriet had to dress as a man to find work to take care of herself and her sister. Working at a publishing house setting the letters is a position she excels at.
Brody gambled away his family's fortune after his father's passing and now is trying to get his book published that he wrote with his 2 friends.
While this is the 2nd book in the series I think it can be read as a stand alone.
This book is a little slow and there is very little outside the attraction and relationship between Harriet and Brody but it was an enjoyable change of pace.
4 stars.

When Brody Evans, Duke of Corwin, goes incognito at a printing press, he meets Mr. Michaels, with whom he feels an instant connection. Hoping to publish his own book, he finds camaraderie with Mr Michaels and develops feelings for him. He begins to realise that by accepting his feelings could prove to be illegal if he decides to pursue them. However, Mr Michaels is actually Hariet, who has been working at the printing press to support both herself and her younger sister. For Harriet, revealing her feelings could lead to her losing her job.
I really enjoyed the story of Brody and Harriet’s relationship, whilst initially being sceptical as to how Brody, being quite the rake, could overcome his preferences so quickly. The secrets held by the couple, made for an interesting read and I found myself fully immersed from the start. An entertaining read between two engaging characters.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This second book in the Gentlemen Authors series has made the theme of the overarching story of the series more apparent while still giving readers a lovely historical romance. Although the romance isn’t nearly as frothy as readers often expect from a Regency romance – and is all the better for it.

There are two stories being told in parallel. The individual story in each book in the series, beginning with A Duke’s Guide to Romance, is the story of a romance between a duke in dire financial straits of his own making and a woman who has been forced to make her way in the world through her own hard work and and has chosen a rather unconventional way of going about it.

At the same time, the overarching story of the series as a whole is a fictionalized version of how a book made its way from being a glimmer in the author’s – or in this case authors’ – eye to being put in the hands of readers.

As this series began, the three dukes have finally gotten their feet back under them after their fathers’ sudden death in a cow pen explosion. Unfortunately along the way of their grief, they seem to have egged each other on in wasting much too much money, even as they held each other up emotionally.

The bills have come due. Ruinously so. Which is where their romance novel, A Seductive Scandal, comes in. They need a plan to make money even though most careers are closed to them, socially speaking. It’s just not done.

In the wake of Jane Austen’s recent death, there’s a vacancy in the publishing landscape that readers are crying out for someone to fill. The three dukes undertake to write a romance novel, à la the late Austen, and succeed beyond their wildest dreams as far as the readability of the book is concerned.

Their next step is to get the damned thing published, which is where this story begins. The Duke of Corwin, Brody Evans, walks by a printing press’ office and spies a ‘Help Wanted’ ad for an assistant editor, beginning immediately. He takes the job, planning to slip their manuscript into the slush pile after several days of doing the work and ingratiating himself with the owner.

He comes to enjoy the job far more than he ever imagined. He’s being paid a pittance from his perspective, but he’s being paid to READ ALL DAY. What’s not to love?

His enjoyment of the job is both increased and confounded by his surprising attraction to the company’s print compositor, Harry Michaels. Harry is the best the printing press’ owner has ever seen at the job, fast, efficient and accurate. He comes early, stays late and makes the whole place hum with productivity.

And he has a secret. Harry Michaels is really Harriet Michaels. A masquerade that she absolutely must keep, because she needs the money to support herself and her younger sister and knows that no job suitable for a woman will pay as much as any job reserved for men.

Which means that Harry must resist Harriet’s attraction for the new assistant editor, ‘Mr. Evans’, no matter how much she wants to give in, even as Mr. Evans’ attraction to Harry Michaels makes him question everything he thought he believed about himself, and wonder just how high a price he’s willing to pay for love.

Escape Rating A: A Duke’s Introduction to Courtship isn’t nearly as frothy a confection as A Duke’s Guide to Romance, and honestly it’s all the better for it. (Not that a good frothy romance can’t be utterly scrumptious as the first book is, but too much of a good thing usually results in a tummy ache – or in this case a headache – from overindulgence in too many sweets.)

We’ve already seen the situation that Brody and his friends are in. It’s not exactly life-threatening, but it is serious from their perspective. First of all, they’ve all been really stupid and they all regret it. They all miss their fathers who were taken from them MUCH too soon. What allows the reader to have sympathy for a group of men who are fantastically well off but merely not as rich as they could be comes down to the way they approach their situation. They are not thinking of themselves but rather of the people who depend on them, and that’s a position that is easier to respect.

What makes this entry in the series work, and also be more serious at the same time, is Harry/Harriet Michaels’ considerably more dire straits. Harriet and her sister are on the knife-edge of poverty. Harriet’s masquerade as Harry makes their situation survivable but just barely. All it will take is one slip and they’ll both be off to the workhouse or working on their backs. Or dead and that seems the most likely. A fact that is brought home to Harriet when Lucy gets sick and Harry is beaten and robbed on the way to fetch a doctor. A doctor that Lucy still needs but that Harry can no longer afford to pay after the robbery.

Harriet is caught between a rock and a hard place, or perhaps a better description would be between Scylla and Charybdis, with sea monsters to either side and slippery rocks underfoot the whole way.

The way that Harriet’s necessary deception leads to Brody’s soul searching added something very special to the whole story, giving his portrayal considerably more depth than might have been expected. Not that this particular scenario hasn’t happened before, and hasn’t been used well, most recently in Jane Dunn’s An Unexpected Heiress, with Cat Sebastian’s Unmasked by the Marquess and even the classic movie Victor/Victoria using the same idea to terrific effect.

Brody’s decision that he loves Harry and damn the consequences, and his subsequent confusion and even sense of betrayal when Harry turned out to be Harriet after all gave the story its final bit of tension AND made Brody’s stake in the situation come much closer to equal Harriet’s than might have been expected.

I’ve written more about this book than I expected because it turned out to be several cuts above what I expected when I started it. I expected froth and fun. What I got went a bit deeper on multiple fronts and still managed to deliver a very satisfying happy ever after at the same time.

I’m really looking forward to the final book in the Gentlemen Authors series, A Duke’s Lesson in Charm, coming next month. Especially since this book should finally reveal to readers just how well the ducally-written romance does at the booksellers!

I like this series for the friends ships but the romance plots aren't that strong, this one I liked whwere it was going on the possibility of attraction that they had never felt before, but it wasn't the strongest for me, love the three dukes and the three friends