Let's talk about 'A Duke of One's Own' by Emma Orchard! Picture this: it's 1816, and Lady Georgiana Pendlebury is turning heads with her rebel vibes. When she gets roped into a scandalous party, things take a wild turn. Cue the entrance of the mysterious Duke of Northriding, who's like the bad boy your mom warned you about but irresistible nonetheless. It's like a Regency rom-com waiting to happen!

First off, let me say, this book brings the heat from page one. No slow burn here; we're diving straight into the spicy stuff. Georgie and Gabriel's banter is top-notch, like watching two pros spar in a verbal fencing match. And let me tell you, the tension between them? Off the charts! But it's not all steamy glances and stolen kisses. There's genuine depth to their connection, which makes the romance all the more satisfying.

Now, I'm not saying this book will change your life, but it's darn good fun. Orchard nails the balance between humor, romance, and intrigue. Plus, I love that Georgie and Gabriel actually talk to each other instead of playing the whole 'will they, won't they' game. It adds a layer of authenticity to their relationship that I really appreciate.

In the end, 'A Duke of One's Own' is like that guilty pleasure rom-com you can't get enough of. It's the perfect escape into Regency romance, complete with scandal, secrets, and a whole lot of swooning. So, grab a cup of tea (or maybe something stronger), settle in, and get ready for a rollicking good time with Georgie and Gabriel!

Overall rating: 4 stars, 2.5 chili peppers

Big thanks to Boldwood Books for providing via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and freely given.

This has a similar vibe to Bridgerton but more towards the TV show than the books.

I really enjoyed the chemistry between the characters and the plot. This is definitely a lot easier to read than other historical fiction I’ve had on my TBR.

The relationships in it are so sweet and it’s really inclusive. A fantastic ‘he falls first’ romance.

Excited to see what other books this author releases.

i truly wanted to love tbis book but it sort of just feel a bit flat. it had all the makings of a perfect hostorical romance for me but i didnt connext with the characters in a way that i wanted. this could totally be a fluke and blamed on me, but i really did try to love!

This one wasn’t for me sadly. I kept at it for a whole day trying to get into the story but it just wasn’t to my taste. Had to DNF at about 47%.

Lady Georgiana Pendlebury, a young woman of good birth but with a reckless nature. Her brother and Aunt have already rescued her from one entanglement, so when she finds herself duped into attending a less than appropriate party she knows she should leave. But then her rescuer calls to her reckless side. Determined to make amends she travels with her Aunt and her aunts companion to stay with a friend of her Aunts’ in a Yorkshire castle (owned by her Duke brother). Unwittingly attending a house party where the Duke is looking for wife. And the Duke is someone she has already met in less formal circumstances.

When the historical starts with an innocent attending an orgy you know exactly where this is headed. Georgie is a rather silly young woman, entangling herself first with a military man then acting in a way that would be more than scandalous at that time. The Duke is obviously smitten and in no way as bad as his reputation suggests. There are obstacles, spicy scenes and ultimately love. It’s standard historical romance but an enjoyable example. As a Yorkshire lass, who’s lived in York I enjoyed the mentions of the city.

3.5 rounded up to 4

Honestly it was a difficult one to read. The prose was unnecessarily unwieldy and sentences dragged on. I had to struggle to finish it. Which is a shame because the premise was promising

This was a fun read! It marketed itself as spicy and it did not disappoint! Unlike many historical romances, there was spice from start to finish and I really liked that the plot was a bit deeper than a straight line to an HEA via marriage. This is the first title by Orchard that I’ve read but based on the other characters I’ve met in this book I’ll definitely look for more by her in the future!

Georgina is a great heroine, one who measures up against our contemporary standards (I think!) and I really enjoyed following her arc throughout this novel.

A fun, quick, spicy read. It took me a little bit to get into it but once I got there the pages flew by. Pick this one up if you want a feel good read.

A Duke of One's Own is a regency romance set in 1816, and second in a series (although I read it as a standalone perfectly happily).

Georgie is a reckless debutante who chafes against being chaperoned and the book starts with her getting into a very risky situation with a masked stranger.

Of course, she bumps into this stranger again, who just happens to be a Duke with a terrible reputation on a mission to find a wife. The two have to work out if there is anything more to their physical connection, and even if there was, if they'd ever be happy.

Throw in a spurned ex-lover and his devious sister and chaos ensues!

I liked the addition of modern sensibilities and the LGBT relationships - they absolutely existed at the time and it's nice to see them represented without significant comment apart from acknowledging it was difficult.

I found Georgie's insecurity a little annoying - I really enjoy the recent trend of women protagonists that aren't feeble wallflowers, but a lot of them still seem to have a deep-seated belief that their love interest could never truly love them, a miscommunication trope which fell a little flat for me.

The only other part that I didn't feel worked hugely well was Lady Ashby's appearance about 75% of the way through - it didn't really add anything and was resolved quickly.

Overall, this was a sparkling regency romance and I enjoyed the hint of the gothic of the Yorkshire setting of the ducal seat. You could tell Orchard is a huge fan of Georgette Heyer through the wit and conversation of the characters, even if it was much steamier!

After several mediocre reads in the genre, I finally stumbled upon a delightful historical romance! The story revolves around Lady Georgiana Pendlebury and Duke Gabriel Mauleverer, whose first encounter is marked by shocking circumstances. Despite Gabriel's notorious reputation as a rake, he needs a wife to secure the future of his dukedom. The memory of their meeting lingers long in Gabriel's mind. Meanwhile, Georgiana, though wary of tying herself to a man with such a scandalous reputation, finds herself unable to resist Gabriel's charms.

While it may not be considered life-changing literature, the novel doesn't aim to be anything more than enjoyable entertainment. In this context, it succeeds admirably. There are several aspects of this book that I really enjoyed. First, the banter between the characters was exceptionally well done. The tension and affection between them was palpable, and the author skillfully portrayed this dynamic. Second, I appreciated the emphasis on communication between the hero and heroine. It's refreshing to see characters openly discuss their concerns and needs, avoiding the frustrating trope of a lack of communication. This added depth to the story, complemented by the portrayal of internal dilemmas and doubts. Third, I admired the language in which the book was written. While adapted for a modern audience, it successfully captured the essence of the Regency era without feeling like characters from modern America were transplanted into historical England. I also appreciated that the book incorporates several tropes more characteristic of contemporary romances, as well as its relatively broad representation of LGBTQ characters, which the author handled well and made appealing to contemporary readers. The romance and spice scenes were tastefully done, which is a success in the context of historical romance.

However, I felt that the theme of Gabriel's difficult relationship with his father and its impact on his adult behavior could have been explored more deeply. There seemed to be plenty of room for that exploration at the expense of some less important subplots. The villain motif felt somewhat clichéd and contrived, seemingly included merely to add drama to the narrative, a common plot device in romance novels. While this plot development wasn't done exceptionally well, it was still preferable to the typical romance breakdowns caused by a lack of communication between the characters.

At the end of the day, I consider A Duke of One's Own to be one of the better historical romances with spice I've come across. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking a light and engaging read in this genre.

Do you know that song that goes:
Ewww. Lady bones gone, he ........
That's what I felt when that scene happened in her room. I'm sorry but we are not doing to let manipulation and gaslighting be hot and sexy. Nah ah, no sir. Every time something happens he clearly manipulates her in to it. Oh I won't kiss or touch you unless you do it first so you can't cry abuse, grape and any kind of force.
I love the rake trope but not when it is this bad. DNF.
No hate to the author, this is just not a book for me and I will not post any (good or bad) reviews about a book I did not finish.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Fun regency romance with some spice, which I’m not into reading, but at least they didn’t say the cheesiest “ick” stuff that some authors have them saying during their spicy moments. At least that was bearable. Georgie is a wild card in her family, always getting into scrapes and some almost scandals involving men, the latter being with Gabriel, The duke of Northridge. Unbeknownst to her she meets him again, months later at his home for a party to find him a wife so he can produce his family heir.

What I did like about this book was the communication between the characters. Nothing was really held back to cause some huge misunderstanding. This was very refreshing. I really loved her family. Her oldest brother Hal and her brother Bastien are loving and although they do place some importance of the standards of that period, they also allow for Georgie to be herself and make her own choices, where most men in charge in that era would turn them away when presented with Georgie’s troubles.

All in all, a fun book, and if you like spice you will like this. It’s definitely not as graphic as some novels, but some of it was a bit much for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher/author for the eARC for allowing me to read this and give an honest review.

This saucy Regency romp is a hoot! It’s funny and clever and spicy and such an easy read.

Georgiana is clever but impulsive, and a scandalous meeting with a charming rake, the Duke of Northriding, leads in a roundabout way to their marriage. Gabriel has a dissolute past, but he’s clearly an honourable man. There’s trust still to be earned, and some sneaky plotting in the background. The banter between Georgie and Gabriel is so much fun. It’s steamy, but there’s also tenderness and connection between these two as they navigate the ton. They are both good people, trying to honour each other, their families and their vows.

Emma Orchard has fun with the era, introducing some real characters, just to mix it up. Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire is discussed, as is Castle Howard. The language is also rich and of the time - great to see biliousness, a misbegotten house party, panegyrics, oaken doors and postern gates, which all add to the atmosphere. There’s also a delicately handled Sapphic subplot, and a lurking villain...

This is is one historical that I’ll be re-reading. Recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Emma Orchard for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

A Wonderful Swoon-Worthy Romance

In the wrong place at the wrong time, Georgina was surprised when her reputation was saved by Gabriel who turned out to be a Duke.
Meeting her again, he became obsessed with her and couldn’t keep his hands or his eyes off her, he needed a wife and he was more than willing to make her his but persuading her was proving to be the problem.

A storyline that will keep you engaged as you follow Georgina and Gabriel’s romantic journey into love with some ups and downs along the way and some steamy moments to complete their love.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was my first regency romance and it did not disappoint. It was a fun read from beginning to end. I thought we'd have spice right away but that was just a tease. I didn't mind though, because it showed up soon enough. It was interspersed nicely throughout as well. The story moved along at a good pace, and the characters were engaging. There was a little tension and turmoil but not enough to make it stressful. I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful romp and look forward to more from this author.

It's been a long while since I read a historical romance, and oh boy.. I was NOT disappointed! This hit me in all of the feels in every single way possible. And what got me hooked? HE FELL FIRST. HARD. The spicy chapters? HELLO. Yes please! A Duke of One's Own was the perfect historical romance I wanted and needed, and I highly recommend! It was such a beautiful romance story, and I cannot wait for the next instalment! <3

A massive thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley UK for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A deeply engaging Regency romance with spice between Georgiana and Gabriel makes this book a delight. Histficrom fans, you're gonna love it!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.,

I received an ARC from @netgalley in exchange for this honest review.

I was a couple chapters in when I realized this is a sequel to The Runaway Heiress which I haven’t read. Luckily there was a quick and neat summary of the previous book events, and I was able to follow along without issues.

I was really impressed by this book. The prose is very reminiscent of a classically written romance but it incorporates inclusive queer and and feminist ideas without making the story seem 21st century-characters-dropped-into-a-period-piece (which is a challenge for many modern HRs!). I think the author took some common, often overused tropes (FMC dressed as a boy, FMC meets MMC in a risqué situation, insta-lust to love, hidden identity but oops! we ran into each other again!) and makes it feel fresh. This is also a very funny book, which I always appreciate from a good HR.

The age gap and buildup to romance felt very reminiscent of Sophie Irwin and Julie Anne Long in the best way. The steamy scenes were sparingly used but really felt evocative and special. I appreciated how the author managed to use physical intimacy to further build the characters’ internal worlds and how they relate to each other.

I could have done without the dead brother’s widow plot, to me it didn’t really add much to the story. I felt that exploring Gabriel’s relationship with his father or dead brother would have been more fertile ground, especially when it comes to his self-blame. It would have played nicely with Georgie’s examination of her own dynamic with her siblings and how she has acted selfishly in the past.

The villains were cartoony but I expect I’d have gotten more out of them if I read the previous book. That being said, I once again appreciate that newer authors are avoiding the cliche of FMC kidnappings and miscommunication leading to separation in their third act.

Overall I’m glad I was able to snag an ARC and I’m looking forward to read the author’s other books, including Hal and Cassandra’s story! I can’t tell who the next book will be about - Alice perhaps? Bastian and Louise seem well settled…

Notes for editor:
Prologue - “She’d thought herself too-worldly wise…”
“Swiftly become firm friends” is used twice in the same paragraph

Overall quite a few run on sentences that would benefit from fewer commas and more hyphens and semicolons

Will characters thoughts be italicized? The switch to first person is somewhat jarring without it

This was a great book! If you love Bridgerton. You will love this book. The romance was so sweet and the plot line was very well thought out and flowed very nicely.

The premise of this book involves a masked meeting between strangers, where our heroine is rescued from a compromising position by the generosity of an unknown gentleman, and when they meet again, the recognition it sparks puts her reputation, once again, at risk—a situation she thought she'd luckily escaped without consequences. To make matters worse for Georgiana, the man in question happens to be a duke!

First of all, I like historical romances as a rule, but this one especially has such a unique blend of themes and characters. There's a departure from heteronormativity frustratingly emblematic of regency novels which plays out as rich side stories that I found myself invested in just because of the unorthodox way they're handled. The controversial dynamics, complicated desires and motivations, emerging conflicts, and genuinely tender familial relationships were compelling, engaging, and a pleasure to read. And those are only a few of the things I loved!

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Emma Orchard for this ARC!