Reviews

Betting on a Duke's Heart by Royaline Sing

lechepatito's review

3.0

This debut felt like a debut that needed better plotting and editing. I enjoyed Dina’s character and the connection she had to her Indian heritage, alongside the mythology she was translating at the start of each chapter. But there was so much extraneous detail, a lot of meandering internal monologue that I struggled to follow, plot points that sprang out of nowhere and then weren’t followed up on (

Aetius was like a son to Dina’s dad, they both said - what?! And did she ever explain to Aetius what she was trying to do with selling the horse to Westbrook?),

and heavy angst mixed with bonkers plot points. I wanted to like this more than I did, and I struggled to finish.

seeaudreyread's review against another edition

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

jillmlong's review against another edition

2.0

The plot of this book sounded very interesting to me and I was looking forward to reading it. Right away I felt that something was off, we are thrown into the opening scene with the Duke and Dina without much build up or explanation. The story revolved more around horses than romance. This book wasn't for me.

lecturerousse's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

lola2024's review against another edition

3.0

For the most part I enjoyed Betting on a Dukes heart.
Sinq is able to create a regency romance that feels familiar and packed with our favourite tropes while at the same time feels fresh.
Why can’t all books have this kind of diversity? The heroine Dina is part Indian and her heritage is embraced and explored fully in this novel, through the food and her love of Hindu mythology. She is wonderfully independent while loyal to the people that matter most.
Aetius plays the perfect damaged hero with a good heart, I enjoyed seeing the enemies to lovers push and pull, his layers slowly peeled back as Dina steals his heart.

Some of the dialogue fell short for me, I found myself re reading paragraphs because I couldn’t grasp where parts were going.
And the damn horses, I usually love a novel which explores a hobby, especially one I am not familiar with, but the horses in this felt a little too much.

Thanks NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

wildfaeriecaps's review against another edition

5.0

This was delightful. I was worried it would be too sporty for me, but by chapter three I knew I was in love. Dina was everything I wanted in a "heroine." I can't wait what else this author publishes!

claireroad's review

Something about her writing style really did not click for me. I think it may be debut related, because it felt like her craft in storytelling wasn't quite there. I felt like the narrative ended up drifting sometimes, and I wasn't always quite sure why we went from point a to point b. I tried really hard to get through it, but it really was not working for me and when I realized I had like 150 pages left there was just no way I was going to be able to slog through it. I liked Dina and I'm glad to see the representation in HR, but this isn't one wasn't quite it for me - especially when I saw another review spoiler and realized how dramatic and weird the ending would be. I'd pick up another book from her in the future, but I won't be finishing this one.

saltycaroline's review against another edition

3.0

This was recommended to me based on a scene where they get h*rny watching horses breeding and I was somehow...still shocked by it

CW: Sexual content, racism

teodora_paslaru's review against another edition

5.0

One of the best regency romances I've read.

It is the story of Dina, a heroine with Indian heritage and feminist views who would make every reader wish they could be her friends, and Aetius, a handsome duke apparently obsessed with horseracing and with some secrets in his past. The story starts when the duke decides to take Dina as a wife for the horse his father offers as a dowry, a thing Dina might disagree with. The two enter some kind of bet, a game that ends up bringing them closer instead of pulling them apart. The story is full of twists and turns and full of tension (a lot of it of sexual nature), classic tropes reimagined in a new way, and an ode to acceptance. To wrap this all up, we have the writing style, which is almost as good as the story itself if not better. A must read, especially for those who are into this genre.

i_hype_romance's review against another edition

4.0

A huge thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read an ARC of this debut novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wonderful debut historical romance. I loved the representation, and Dina and Aetius were the perfect match. While I enjoyed the unique backgrounds of the characters and their slow burn development of their relationship, there were several reasons I couldn't quite give the book 4 stars.

1. The dialogue was a bit clunky at times - especially during the intimate scenes.
2. The heroine capitulated too quickly - I would have loved to have seen more encounters between them before she realized her feelings were more than lust.
3. The scene in the hayloft was awkward to me.
4. I found myself skimming over a lot of the descriptions, and sometimes the sentences were just too long.

These observations aside, it was still a lovely debut and I look forward to reading more by this author.

3.5 Stars.