I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

Found this a little trite and hard to read. The chemistry was also lacking for me, this couple just not giving me #couplegoals throughout

Alex Cheverton is an estate manager for his cousin, the Duke of Farisdeen. He has long been secretly attracted to Jocelyn Sudderfield, who lives on the estate with her Father and brother and helps them in their work translating Greek texts. When Farisdeen’s son suddenly dies, Alex becomes the new heir which changes his relationship with Jocelyn.
The book started well with the histories for both the characters and describing their ongoing attraction to one another from their first meeting long ago. However it’s a pretty tame tale of their courtship, with a few stolen kisses for good measure. Their relationship is more friendship and companionship than desire and attraction. The main characters have a good friendship but little chemistry.
There were some points in the book where I thought there was going to be some excitement or added drama, such as the introduction of Jocelyn’s brother’s friend, but nothing really happened.

This was a fun and charming friends to lovers story, where clever and scholarly Jocelyn secretly assists her father and brother with Greek translations, she is also attracted to Alex Cheverton, estate manager of Edge Hall for the Duke of Farisdeen.

Alex is also attracted to her, and has watched her grow up from a young girl to the sparky and independent woman she is now. Their interactions are filled with teasing banter and they start to grow closer. Jocelyn is determined to keep working on her beloved translations so when Alex becomes the heir apparent to the Duke, and is then directed to wed a suitable woman and learn to manage the Dukedom, she is determined to stay single to keep translating.

I liked the history/ancient Greek angle in this book, this was incorporated into the plot very well, I also liked the banter between the protagonists at the start. However, for some reason I didn't enjoy this book as much as I normally enjoy Julia's work. The second half felt too laboured and overwritten.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

This was a sweet, but pretty forgettable romance for me. I really enjoy quieter friends-to-lovers plots in romance, as I think that they provide a much more stable basis for a believable relationship than a more fiery, dramatic romance, but this one was a little bit placid even for me. I liked, but didn't love, both main characters, which was a bit of a disappointment as I'm a classicist myself and was looking forward to a heroine interested in the ancient world - but I just didn't feel a spark from her. If I could, I'd probably give it three and a half stars!

The Bluestocking Duchess is a lovely heartwarming friends to lovers story. I thought the fine line between friendship and romance played out wonderfully between Jocelyn and Alex. I couldn’t help but root for them.

The pacing of the story was steady and I thought that there was the perfect amount of drama to create a few obstacles on the way to a happy ever after. It was also lovely to see Jocelyn and Alex’s engaging interactions. Seeing their connection grow and the chemistry between them increasing with every turn of the page.

The Bluestocking Duchess is a sweet, engaging story filled with friendship and romance.

An unusual storyline but nevertheless an enjoyable read. It would not normally be a story that I would be drawn to. Recommended

This is a nice historical romance with the proverbial wallflower bluestocking. She has sepnt all her life with her father translating obscure texts and really quite enjoying it and not wishing to be a debutante or have a social whirl.
Her father is sponsored by an aristocrat to make these translation as so few people, at that time, could read and understand ancient Greek etc and thus translations of the well known works by the ancients sold well. And anyway, it was very prestigious to be able to sponsor a scholar and have your very own translation made.
But there was a secret. Her translations were better. More emotional and emotive and just less stilted. But of course, she was a female and no aristocrat would sponsor her. So they all pretended it was her father doing the work.
But her good friend the Estate Manager suspects something. But his suspicions are irrelevant until he needs to take over the sponsorship of the scholar.
Nicely written and in keeping with the genre.

I read this ARc for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

Not your usual romance fare and all the better for it
Great story and loved the twists and turn in plot

Great read

The Bluestocking Duchess is the first book in the Heirs in Waiting series by Julia Justiss.

This is a really lovely friends to lovers story that I very much enjoyed. A simple estate manager finds himself taking on a Dukedom with all the expectations of it including marrying well. The only woman in his life that he is secretly attracted to is a bluestocking. She is attracted to the new Duke but believes that any relationship would put a stop to her scholarly endeavours. Neither should want to be together, neither should be encouraged to be together, but can they keep away from each other?

I smiled a lot while reading this book, the hero and heroine are both very likeable characters and I enjoyed reading how their relationship transitioned into something they both realised they very much wanted. This is a feel-good book which I am more than happy to recommend.

This is a friend to lover romance set within the confines of English society in 1834. Jocelyn is an educated and intelligent woman, allowed to defy society's conventions by her father as she assists him in his scholarly work. Alex is an estate manager for his cousin the Duke on the same estate. Alex and Jocelyn have an easy camaraderie that builds into unfulfilled attraction.

A drastic change in circumstances pushes Alex towards a suitable marriage. Jocelyn mourns the loss of their relationship but doesn't want to lose her independence to a man, even Alex. Their romance is conflicted with both internal and external conflicts. The main characters are well crafted and likeable. You empathise with both, but mostly with Jocelyn, who doesn't want to lose her identity.

The romance is believably gentle, with lively dialogue and a satisfying happy ending.

I received a copy of this book from Mills and Boon via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Drama, secrets and major changes, this book has them all
Alex is an estate manger for his cousin the Duke of Farisdeen and Jocelyn is the daughter of the estates librarian but a change in circumstances throws everything up in the air
Jocelyn is an incredibly smart lady, she assists her father and brother with translations from Ancient Greek plays whilst also being a brilliant rider and teasing Alex. The more I learnt about Jocelyn the more complex she became and the more I liked her
Alex has a huge upheaval in his life but that doesn’t stop Jocelyn being the person he wants to be with, especially after he meets some of the London society brides! He is clever and knows what he is doing with the estate management. I will admit that as less of the story is written from his point of view it was harder to get to know him but he is a kind and caring person who knows what is important to him
Alex and Jocelyn’s story looks at what is important in their lives and how important it is to be who you are without having to compromise which is something that really transfers to modern times too. I did however struggle at times because there are time gaps which then resulted in decisions having been during them which did mean that I missed out on some of their development as characters in these important moments of their lives but overall I enjoyed this book and the characters themselves are brilliant
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a historical romance with fabulous characters who have huge personalities and who you will love

Quirky, cute and romantic. A lovely and unusual read, pushing forwards the skills of our heroine against the backdrop of the period. Some excellent twists as the story meanders forwards and a good glimpse into country and town life. Loved it.

The Bluestocking Duchess is M&B historical romance written by Julia Justiss. Miss Jocelyn Sudderfield is working at Edge Hall, the Duke of Farisdeen’s estate with her father and brother, translating Ancient Greek texts with her father. They have lived at the Dower house for most of Jocelyn’s life. She has successfully avoiding the need to enter into marriage by doing so and loves her work. She has made friends with estate manager, Alex Cheverley. He, unexpectedly, becomes the Duke’s heir as he is the Duke’s cousin. Now Alex must marry a debutante suitable to be his wife selected by the cold hearted Duke, not consort with a bookish Bluestocking. Will they be able to remain friends, turn the friendship into something more or each go their own way?
I enjoyed this novel. The inclusion of the translation of Greek texts made the storyline appear more realistic, rather than just the mention that she translated texts would have done. The relationship between Jocelyn and Alex developed slowly whilst both pursues their own interests.




I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

The Bluestocking Duchess follows Miss Jocelyn Sudderfeld as she works with her scholarly father and brother at the estate of the Duke of Farisdeen, to translate the works of ancient authors such as Euripides. She’s lived in the Dower House for most of her life, and when she met the estate manager, and distant cousin of the Duke, Alex Cheverton, 6 years ago, she was smitten. Now though, it seems that Alex has become the Duke’s heir, following the death of his own son, and the friendship and camaraderie between the two has to change - whether they like it or not. Alex has known that his cousin and employer, the Duke, was a stoic and frosty man, but enjoyed his work, and the experience he gained before he decided to settle down and move back to his small estate. Becoming the heir to the dukedom was not something he was ever interested in, and especially not when he has to head to London, lose his friendship with Jocelyn, and be under the guidance of the Duke - who’s already picked out the ‘perfect’ bride for him. Will they both come to terms with the new situation, and will they be able to be together?

I really enjoyed this book, and especially the inclusion of Greek mythology and the study of Ancient Greece. My degree is partially in Ancient History, so seeing the way Jocelyn loved her study and her work - even when her brother was taking the credit for it - was wonderful. I also loved the banter and connection between the hero and heroine. They’ve been friends for 6 years, and what may have started out initially a platonic relationship (Jocelyn was only 16 when they met), it’s clear they care deeply for each other, and it’s onto external factors that are keeping them apart. Okay, there’s a little bit of a love triangle towards the end, but not one to really detract from the main romance, and I was so happy with how the conclusion was dealt with. All in all, an enjoyable read, and I look forward to the others in the series.

Stuck a beautiful story. At first I was a bit uncertain what this was going to be like due to being published by mills and boon, and whenever I'd tried their books before they'd all seemed to be bodice rippers, however although the characters had perhaps a slight bit more leeway than they would've had back then, it was pretty realistic. The characters were well thought out, and, quite honestly, kept me guessing who would end up with whom when new characters were added. I loved the build up and seeing relationships develop, whilst also dealing with real feelings. 100% would recommend

3.5 ⭐️ I received an e-ARC courtesy of the publisher on Netgalley.

This book is a lovely feel-good historical romance; a fast read when you want a HEA.

Alex Cheverton is the estate manager of a ducal country estate in West Sussex, and when his employer/cousin’s heir dies suddenly, Alex discovers he’s the new heir. Jocelyn has lived on the Edge Hill estate her entire life, thanks to the Duke’s patronage of her scholarly father and brother. She’s had a crush on the estate manager for six years but now knows they can never be together as Alex must marry someone from the ton.

The first half did a good job of establishing the characters, their attachment, etc., before Penlowe’s death. My primary gripe is that Alex never figured out he was an heir?!? He never questioned the Duke seeking him out, ordering him not to marry, etc.? A bit dim of him. Also, I hated that her brother is essentially stealing Jocelyn's work, and it's hardly discussed. I get that it's a passion project for Jocelyn, but I would have enhanced the story by possibly having Virgil get cagey at all of the people trying to marry off Jocelyn.

The ‘obstacle for our friends turned lovers’ is very quickly resolved, and everyone is happy, and it could have been more sophisticated, but still, a fun read.

I am grateful to Netgalley, Mills and Boon and Julia Justiss for this e arc copy.
I am afraid this book was not for me. I just couldn’t connect with the characters. I appreciated the situation the main characters found themselves in and could empathise with their situation. I liked that the main female character was a scholar and that she loved her work.
If you like historical romances then this could be a book you will enjoy.