3.75/5. Releases 11/28/2023.

Vibes: lite enemies to lovers, fake engagement, he ~sees her~, some good old Regency grinding.

When Verity Hartley, famously passed over in favor of her younger sisters, is confronted by her nemesis--well, she simply has no choice but to pretend she's engaged to a local duke. Problem: local duke is the Duke of Longhurst, Magnus, whose family is feuding with Verity's. After his father lost everything (allegedly at the hands of Verity's father) Magnus must marry a rich heiress in order to set the estate to right. Verity is not a rich heiress. But in order to avoid a scandal that would jeopardize his prospects the two agree to fake an engagement. Temporarily. What could go wrong?

In terms of writing, this has all the hallmarks of a Vivienne Lorret novel. It's funny, it's sparkly, it is absolutely full of witty banter between the leads. In general, it's overall a successful historical romcom. But while I would recommend to Lorret fans in general (and I am one) I don't know that I would recommend it as an entry point to her work. Nor would I necessarily say it's her strongest book. That said, as the first in a series, it's solid, and I have a feeling that she's ramping up for more.

Quick Takes:

--This is one of those books where they do have legitimate reasons to be enemies (to lovers) especially on Magnus's part. I mean, he thinks her family fucked his over big time. However, it's not heavy. This book is a lot of things, but heavy isn't one of them. Breezy, more like. It's a good palate cleanser. Yet you don't feel annoyed by his and Verity's sparring, because you get why they'd both have bad impressions of each other (though I was a little confused as to to why he kept going on about Verity being a liar--I mean, she told one fairly substantial lie, but she clearly didn't think it was going anywhere, and any other minor fibs just frankly aren't that big a deal).

--It's also one of those books where the two of them often end up in compromising positions, and it is fun. Verity sitting in his lap, an accidentally tit grab, a good old "oh no, now I am all wet [dual implication]" moment. And I did enjoy how unapologetically horny they both were. Verity, in general, is a really horny heroine. This girl is out here spying on a hot vicar as he takes a swim in a lake or whatever (sidebar: I need the hot vicar's book). I love a horny heroine, and I did love that a lot of her frustration read as "needs to get laid". Like, it's not an excessively deep book, but it is a fun book.

--That said... I personally don't know that Lorret went quite hard enough on either the depth or the madcap over the top insanity. To me, she is in her sweet spot when she hits either one (or both) really hard. The Wrong Marquess, for example (which I would recommend as an entry point to her work, as it's great, and it leads into two other great books) doesn't have the most insane plot, but it touched on some really tender, emotionally true feelings. And also, horniness. How to Steal A Scoundrel's Heart is more on the wild side, but it marries the daring plot with a heroine who really needs some healing, and an icy hero who needs to soften (not in THAT way, never THAT way). Never Seduce a Duke does have a soft gooey center, but it is full old school insanity, with a modern edge.

This one is on the lighter side, and I wouldn't say I felt an especially deep connection between Magnus and Verity. It's definitely romantic, the chemistry is definitely sparking, I love the banter--but it's not like they spend a lot of time having a dark night of the soul, and I wasn't sure I quite felt the intensity of the love as I do in other Lorret books. Like I said, it's a romcom, and that's valid. But if we're going to go a bit more surface level on the love story, I'd like a really rollicking plot to bring them together. And this is really largely fake dating, which, I'll admit, I'm generally tiring of. It needed a bit of extra oomph.

--I also will say, I don't know that Lorret went quite broad enough with Magnus and Verity in terms of character. He's a bit stern and grumpy, though he really doesn't go super far with it (he could've gone further). Verity is sassy and full of quips. She does a lot of "why YOU!!!" at him. It's fun. But it does get a little repetitive, at least to me--as does her tendency to fall into clumsy moments.

I will also say... I'm not a big fan of the "I'm plain, nobody notices me" thing. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little more interested in Verity's hot sisters (I'm super excited about what I assume will be their books, hopefully one of them gets with the hot vicar). While Magnus, thankfully, never really sees Verity as plain--the repeating about how everyone else does, the implication that they're just WRONG. Like, I get it, he notices her when no one else does. It's definitely not Penelope Featherington levels of "woe is me and my meager looks", but it could have been a little... less.

--I do want to emphasize: I did like this book. It's a good book. I'd recommend this book to Lorret readers, for sure, and probably a lot of light romcom readers (though I'd recommend checking out a few of her other books before this one). But do I think it's the best example of her work? Not quite. However, that's because I think she's so talented, and I know she can just hit one out of the park. That said, I am pumped about the rest of the series, and I'm honestly not worried. A lot of authors take a book or two to warm up to the best output of a new series--I noticed this with The Mating Habits of Scoundrels, too, which overall I'd call a strong series for sure.

So yes. Do check this one out if you want something on the lighter side. But if you've never read a Lorret before, try The Wrong Marquess, How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart, and/or Never Seduce a Duke first--then come back here for something a bit simpler.

Thanks to Avon and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Vivienne Lorret is an author I trust implicitly to deliver a great book, and she never disappoints. It Had to Be a Duke is a great read, with unexpected twists, laugh out loud moments and emotions dialed up to eleven.

When Verity Hartley accidentally declares she’s betrothed to a duke, and not just any duke, but the one who is the enemy of her family, she never expects him to go along with it! Magnus, Duke of Longhurst, can’t risk his reputation, since he’s busy negotiating an engagement to a wealthy heiress. A week of a fake engagement to the wild daughter of his enemy followed by a mutual separation should put matters to rest. However, Magnus and Verity can’t help the electricity that crackles between them as they get to know each other better.

This book felt a little different from some of Lorret’s other books, but was still chock-full of heart. I’m excited to see where she takes this new Liar’s Club series; the next book is queued up and I can’t wait. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves fake engagement, touch her and die, duty vs desire, and smart, witty heroines.