Lady Georgiana Pendlebury accidentally finds herself at a scandalous masked soiree, where she has an encounter with a mystery gentleman.
Later that summer, Georgiana attends a house party meant to arrange a marriage for the new Duke of Northriding. Georgiana and the Duke, Gabriel Mauleverer, are shocked to discover that they’ve met before and that their attraction still holds.

While I was intrigued by the blurb, this book and I were sadly not a match. I could not connect to the author's writing style/prose at all, and that made me struggle to connect with the characters. The hero and heroine talked about how much they wanted each other, but - aside from the initial meeting - I didn't feel the chemistry between them at all. I didn't even want to finish this one; it couldn't hold my attention.

Tropes: Masquerade, One Night Stand, House Party, Forced Proximity, Compromised

* I read an ARC and this is my honest review.

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

After being tricked into attending a masked orgy, Lady Georgiana Pendlebury knows she is lucky to have her reputation intact. The only person who knows she had a 'romantic interlude' was the man in question, and she's never seen him before. So arriving at a house party with her aunt at the Duke of Northriding's Yorkshire castle, and realising that the notorious "Silver Duke" is that man, is a shock. Gabriel Mauleverer, Duke of Northriding, is in need of an heir, and a wife. The house party this summer is for him to choose a bride who'd be happy to live at the castle, and not just after the title. Gabriel never expected to want any of the debutantes putting themselves forward, but he hasn't been able to forget about the masked lady, and now he knows who she is, he'll do whatever it takes to the bride he wants.

When I saw the cover for A Duke of One's Own, I knew it was my kind of book. Georgie may be a lady, but she cares little for her reputation, or what is expected from her. She is lucky in her family that she won't be forced to marry against her will, just for reputation or for security. So everyone knows she is not at the castle as a prospective bride, but as a guest of Gabriel's sister. She's harmless to the other debutantes, but Gabriel doesn't want any of them, he only wants Georgie. I did think she was too headstrong at times, and was about to spite herself, and Gabriel, by refusing him again and again. Gabriel was portrayed as a rake, and he had had a reputation in the past, but following the deaths of his brother and cousin, he is ready to settle down for the sake of the duchy. Finding Georgie first in London, and then again at his home, he realises that she has awakened something inside him, and he wants only her. He never tries to force her into anything she doesn't want, but tries to show her again and again that he is honest and steadfast in his affection.

The added intrigue of the siblings out to punish Georgie was interesting, but not surprising at all. There were moments when I had to laugh at how obvious the villains were, and how ridiculous the plot was getting. I did like that way it forced Georgie and Gabriel to be real with each other, about their feelings, but it could've been done a bit quicker. Still, it was an enjoyable historical romance.

This was a good book to read but I must say it is not one of my favourites. A historical romance set in 1816 it is the story of Lady Georgiana Pendlebury and her romances, good and bad with the wrong and then maybe the right man.

The characters were alright but the connections between characters was a bit lacking and the story was light and airy so to speak. It was a fun read but if you want something with a bit more substance than this is not that book. It is entertaining and easy to read so overall a decent book and read.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I liked A Duke of One's Own but unfortunately didn't love it. I thought the two main characters were fun and I liked their relationship. However, I found the pacing a bit off and the story didn't fully grip me like other historical romances I've read. I also got the sense that I was missing context from a previous book, which is on me for not realising there was a previous book. I would still be interested to read future books by the author but this one just wasn't for me.

one thing I love about regency or other historical romance eras is that everyone it entwined somehow. Even if it takes awhile for the MC to relaize and in this case our Lady G has taken in quite the sight only to see a particular party goer again and this time she won't let him slip away so easily. Fun, easy read, and little naughty.

This author’s prose is very “classic”, reminding me of Jane Austen and older writers in general (I know that the author is a big fan of Georgette Heyer, but I never read her books, so I can’t really compare them), but the book is pleasantly steamy, so the contrast was very perplexing for me at the beginning… But then I loved every moment of it. The relationships between the characters, main and side ones, are refreshingly honest and the love between Georgiana, her aunt and her brother is sincere and endearing. And I really, really loved Gabriel, who’s so very much in love, but doesn’t have a clue! There’s some humor as well, but the strength of the book is in its well fleshed-out characters. A solid five star read.
Now that I’ve discovered this new author, I won’t definitely miss her next books!

I really enjoyed this book - a little far fetched in places, and a little too spicy in others - but otherwise I found it a delightful tale, full of intrigue, house parties and the marriage mart.

To be honest it was a little more explicit than other books I have read in this genre, but the storyline was good and the characters (with one exception) were likeable.

An enjoyable read 4*

A spicy saucy read perfect for Bridgeton fans.I enjoyed from first to last page.#netgalley #boldwoodbooks

i admit that i did not enjoy it as much as i hoped. i'd say that it's a "it's not you, it's me" situation, more than anything, though. as a reader, i usually avoid romance where the main characters have slept with each other because it ruins the relationship build-up for me—it feels less romantic because they've seen all there is to see of each other—literally. but, hey, that's just me. i think this book would be better suited for those who love one-stand romance—those who want sexual tension, lust, and heated glances.

i did enjoy the author's writing style as i found it so beautiful and smooth. this one didn't work out for me but i hope i'd be able to enjoy the author's next release!

ᡣ𐭩 i received an advance reader copy from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review ᡣ𐭩

DNF @ 20%

Unfortunately this book just didn’t work for me. I can appreciate what the author was doing with the writing style, but I found it very dense, wordy and hard to follow. I personally found there was a lot of telling and not a lot of showing. The book just didn’t really capture my interest; I thought the concept was good but the writing style felt very dry. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.

This was a fast-paced, steamy read, the opening was wild and it stayed engaging the whole way through. Loved an older roguish hero who's obsessed with our leading lady! I read a ton of regency romances and this was definitely one of the good ones, the perfect thing to tide you over until we get more Bridgerton!

A Duke of One's Own was a spicy regency romance novel. Georgianna Pendlebury is a woman over the normal marrying age. She is much more independent and tests the boundaries of society. She is unknowlingly led to va party with a "friend" that turns out to be of a very scandalous nature. There she meets a mysterious stranger who offers his help.

Later in the season she is invited to a party for the Duke of Northriding that is looking to marry as he is in need of an heir. When Georgie meets him, she realizes that he is none other than her mysterious stranger. Georgie tries to avoid the truth getting out about her history with the duke as all the other ladies vie for his attention. The Duke and Georgie find themselves continually drawn to each other. With their attraction growing Georgie finds herself jealous of any others who get the Duke's attention. Will she find herself as the new Duchess?

This story was a light regency romance with some added spice. Georgie is not your normal regency era woman. She is strong willed and doesn't want to marry except for love. Her older brother doesn't push the issue and allows her some independence. The Duke is drawn to her and the chemistry between them is palpable. There are several steamy scenes between them that will have the room feeling warm.

The story itself is a fun read. There are some threads from the start of the book that don't come back into play until nearly the end. There are some twists and turns throughout that make this romance a light read. The story was well paced and a quick read. I would definitely recommend if you love regency romance, scandalous encounters, and rakish Dukes.

I'm not sure if Georgette Heyer would approve even if she lived today but it's a very entertaining and compelling historical romance.
Georgiana is strong and well plotted character. I had fun and recommend this novel
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Emma Orchard for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for A Duke of One's Own coming out April 22, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I’m obsessed with regency romances so I was really excited for it. I thought the masquerade set up would be really entertaining and I also loved the characters’ names. However, this story didn’t quite work for me. I liked it, but didn’t love it. I thought it was a little too instalove and then they spent the rest of the time in a “will they, won’t they?” The characters were fun, but I was hoping for a little more emotion. I’ll definitely check out other books by this author.

Everyone who enjoyed Bridgerton NEEDS to read this book! It was so much fun from start to finish - the perfect blend of steamy scenes and funny dialogue as well as a really sweet love story too. I thought the plot was well written too, which I find often isn't the case with this genre of novel. I loved following Georgiana through the story, she was such a fun FMC!

Thanks so much to Netgaley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A Duke of One's Own" by Emma Orchard is a light and enjoyable historical romance. Set in 1816, it follows Lady Georgiana Pendlebury as she navigates scandal and secrets at a Yorkshire castle party. While the plot and pacing are engaging, I struggled to connect with the characters and felt the romantic tension lacking. Despite some historical inaccuracies, the book offers a fun escape for readers seeking a flavorful romance without much substance. Georgie and Gabriel's relationship feels underdeveloped, but the story can be enjoyed as a standalone. Overall, it's a pleasant read for those looking for a light historical romance, but it didn't fully capture my interest.

Unfortunately sometimes I just know immediately that a book isn’t for me - I tried to persevere a little longer, but it just wasn’t clicking and I wasn’t interested in Georgina or the duke. Who knows, I may pick it up at another point, however I am DNFing at this time. Lots of other readers and reviewers seem to have really enjoyed this, and I think I am in the minority with feeling this way. Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read an ARC and review this book.

I could not get into this book. It seemed to ramble on a lot about everything! I did skip ahead a bit to see if it got any better but it didn't. There was too much filler for me.

Oh how I enjoyed this book. I was worried it may ne like too many others but I was quickly proven wrong in the first few chapters.

This book was cute, but I felt like it was lacking something. I enjoyed the spark between the main characters but would have appreciated further relationship development. The setting/premise was intriguing, but I did find the writing style tedious at times. It’s still a fun read though.