Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This was a fast and cute read. There were a lot of hijinks and some mysteries. I enjoyed my time with the characters and the story!

This is a perfect book for reading on vacation or at the beach. Light-hearted, fun and easy to disappear into for a few hours.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The next Bridgerton fix this is not. The only similarity is the genre. I wanted to love this book, but it fell flat. That being said, the premise was interesting to me especially being set in regency times, a sister swap is never something I’ve encountered before in this setting! It was just okay, not one I’ll be revisiting in the future.

A Gentleman's Offer is a light Historical Romance that shares some similarities with Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Twins Maria and Meg are estranged due to their parents' separation, and reunite when Maria goes missing after getting engaged to Sir Dominic DeLacey. As their engagement progresses, Dominic discovers that his fiancee Maria is actually her twin sister Meg. Dominic and Meg set out to find Maria, and get acquainted as they conduct various inquiries all over London. Family secrets are exposed, blackmail comes to light, and Dominic realizes that he may be engaged to the wrong Nightingale sister.

I enjoyed this book, though I felt that the pacing was slower than anticipated. It was wonderful to see the Nightingale siblings reunite, and reconcile their difficult past. I loved how the story tied up all the details by the end, and everyone in the book, not just the main characters, found their happily ever after. I enjoyed Dominic and Meg's banter, and attraction to each other, but their relationship felt a little off to me since they fell in love and became soul mates only a few days after meeting. The setting of the book in Regency-era London was charming, and all of the characters contributed to a complex story. I really enjoyed the diversity of the characters, and Dominic's commitment to helping others. His and Meg's interest in helping others is not something you see often in the aristocracy of this time period. Emma Orchard's writing is witty, and I am looking forward to reading her other works.

Thank you to Boldwood Books, Emma Orchard and NetGalley for providing me a review copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

3.5/5 stars

Oh, where do I even start with this one? I had such high hopes for this book—twin sisters, mistaken identities, a dash of mystery, and a Regency romance? Sign me up! But, alas, it just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It had all the ingredients for a delicious historical romance, but the final dish felt a little undercooked.

The story kicks off with Dominic De Lacy, a dutiful bachelor who agrees to marry Lady Marie Nightingale because, well, his late father said so. Classic Regency vibes, right? But then PLOT TWIST!! Marie disappears, and her identical twin sister, Meg, steps in to save the day (and the family reputation). Cue the drama, the mystery, and the inevitable sparks between Dominic and Meg. Sounds fun, right? And it was... for a while. But here’s the thing: the whole twin swap thing felt a bit... forced. Like, Dominic meets Meg (who looks exactly like Marie) and suddenly he’s all, “Wow, she’s stunning!” Um, sir, you literally just met her identical twin. What’s the difference?

And don’t even get me started on the mystery of Marie’s disappearance. Dominic, who barely knows the Nightingale family, is suddenly the only person who can help Meg find her sister. How? Why? It made no sense. Like, wouldn’t a discreet lady’s maid or a private investigator be more useful? But no, it’s Dominic to the rescue, even though he’s clueless and Meg refuses to give him any useful information. Frustrating, to say the least.

The writing style didn’t help either. At times, it felt like the author was trying way too hard to sound Regency-esque, with overly formal language and pages of exposition in a single conversation. I love a good period piece, but this felt like it was trying so hard to be “authentic” that it lost its charm. And the characters? Dominic was... fine, I guess. He was nice, but that’s about it. No depth, no edge, just a blandly pleasant guy who suddenly turns into a flirt when Meg shows up. Meg, on the other hand, had potential—she’s strong-willed and independent—but her backstory felt shallow, and she came off as a bit of a “pick me” girl at times.

The romance itself was... meh. It was supposed to be a slow burn, but it felt more like a flicker. There was no real buildup or tension, just a lot of talking and then—bam!—sudden smut. And while I’ll give the author points for creativity (ahem, “swollen pearl of Venus”), the intimate scenes felt out of place because the emotional connection between Dominic and Meg just wasn’t there.

As for the mystery, it started off intriguing but ended up being pretty predictable. The big reveal about Marie’s disappearance? Anticlimactic. The villain? One-dimensional and cliché. And the ending? Rushed. Like, we spend the whole book building up to this grand resolution, and then it’s all wrapped up in a neat little bow off-page. No wedding, no fallout, no payoff—just a quick time jump to happily ever after. Snooze.

Look, I wanted to love this book. The premise had so much potential, and I’m a sucker for tropes like arranged marriage, fake dating, and forced proximity. But the execution just didn’t work for me. The characters felt flat, the romance lacked chemistry, and the mystery fell flat. If you’re looking for a light, cozy Regency romance with a side of mystery, this might be worth a try. But if you’re craving something with depth, tension, and emotional payoff, this one might leave you wanting more.

Tropes: ✔️ arranged marriage, ✔️ twin swap/mistaken identity, ✔️ regency romance, ✔️ slow burn (kind of), ✔️ forced proximity.

Final verdict? It was... fine. Just fine.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

#AGentlemansOffer #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley. This was a different kind of story. Dominic knew it was time for him to get married and he left it up to his father to make the selection. He seemed surprised at the agreement between her father and his. The night of their engagement announcement his fiancée told him she was the twin sister not the girl he was to marry. They did not know where her sister was and would he help her find her sister. He agreed and they started looking for her. He got to know Meg better than he ever knew her sister. Eventually they find the sister and it is quite a story to tell. I don't want to ruin it for you. just enjoy.

An arranged marriage. A runaway bride-to-be. Twins. A plethora of hysterical relatives. A Gentleman's Offer by Emma Orchard takes a variety of common tropes in historical romances (including some that go back as far as Shakespeare's day!) and gives them a slightly modern spin. Our hero, Dominic, is delightfully self-aware, our heroine, Meg, is in tune with herself body and soul. The plot lines include interracial love, same-sex love, and debutantes who may not be entirely chaste… and that's okay! The tone stays light and sweet, the characters are charming, and our leads' building connection is nicely spicy. The pacing is perfect and the plotting precise, For me, it was a fast, easy, enjoyable read, with characters I cared about and enough intrigue to keep me guessing. Thank you, Boldwood Books, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book was enjoyable to read. There were some interesting twists to the story that I wasn’t expecting and made me want to keep reading. A little spicy too which was enjoyable as well. Well put together mystery/romance.

Having read several books by Emma Orchard I knew exactly what I was letting myself in for when I picked up this book.

As with Orchard’s other outings we get a strong FMC with a healthy dose of feminism and people being authentically themselves which for a book set in the 18th century is quite a feat. Unlike the other’s this one had considerably less spice. It worked in the context of the story but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a tad disappointed and would have loved to see a bit more of that side of Dominic and Meg’s relationship.

The plot was twisty and though I saw one reveal coming the rest of the book really did keep me guessing!

Emma Orchard is definitely a firm favourite author of mine and I intend to add a physical copy to my collection once it’s out!

100% recommend. This was such great read! . . . captivating, fast paced and sweet. Absolutely loved this . . . The chemistry and the banter between the two MCs had me swooning.

📖 Book Review: a gentleman’s offer
✍️ Author: Emma Orchard
⭐ Rating: 2 1/2 / 5
📅 Release Date: [Insert Date]

This was my first book by Emma Orchard, and while I didn’t love it, I still found it to be a fun and enjoyable read. The historical accuracy and language felt well-researched, and I appreciated the emphasis on headstrong independent female characters. That said, I had a few issues with the pacing, character development, and overall execution.

✨ Writing & Historical Accuracy

Orchard’s writing style took a little getting used to, but I ultimately enjoyed how authentic it felt to the time period. The historical setting was immersive, and I liked the way social expectations were woven into the characters’ decisions. However… if we’re already writing a book where multiple characters openly accept a lesbian couple, I feel like we could have also adjusted the historical accuracy on the ages. The 18-year-old heroine with a 29-year-old hero? Completely unnecessary. Just make her older or him younger—it wouldn’t have changed the story in any meaningful way.

📖 Plot & Pacing

The premise itself worked for me, but the solutions to everything felt a little too easy. The mystery of Marie’s disappearance was solved way too quickly, and I would have liked to see a bit more tension before everything fell into place so neatly. The pacing also felt uneven—the first half built tension well, but by the end, things wrapped up too abruptly, leaving some plot threads underdeveloped.

👫 Characters & Romance

Despite my critiques, I actually really liked the dynamic between Dominic and Meg. Their interactions were sweet, and I enjoyed the way their relationship developed. Dominic may not have had the strongest personality, but the way he just went along with Meg’s plans because he liked her was endearing. However, the romance did suffer a bit from a lack of depth—it leaned more on telling us they were falling in love rather than showing it. Also, Dominic’s sudden attraction to Meg when he had zero interest in her identical twin was a little hard to buy into.

🏁 Final Thoughts

While this wasn’t a standout read for me, it was still enjoyable in its own way. The charming romance and historical details kept me entertained, even if I had some frustrations with the pacing and execution. I’ll definitely be giving Orchard another try, as I can see the potential in her writing!

💌 Thank you NetGalley & Boldwood Books for the ARC!

This book was just fine.

I'm a big enjoyer of romance, and I love a Regency HR from time to time. This story hit some marks and missed a couple for me.

The plot described only occupies around the first 1/2 of the book - the latter half is spent trying to untangle a couple other smaller, connected issues. Finding Maria in the first bit was fun, flirty and adventurous, but in the second half things start to crumble a bit; the ending felt rushed, and lacked payoff - within 2 chapters things have been resolved off page and we're moving on to a happy ending.

I did enjoy the characters - Dominic had a dry voice that I enjoyed, and Meg very much felt like a country girl in the big city for the first time, while also being funny and intelligent. Their interactions were lively and witty, but they fell in love a bit too fast for my liking. The side characters didn't really feel notible enough to comment on. Except for Francis, who popped up at the end and added some pizzazz.

The writing and prose felt appropriate for the time period, and (I assume) very Georgette Heyer-esque; but it also sadly created a disconnect between me and the characters. I didn't feel like I really got to know them, or really how they felt much about anything. So I had trouble being invested in their relationship or their concerns because I didn't really care much at all about them as people.

5 stars

I enjoyed this story. Maria's Aunt sends for Meg as Maria has run off. She was due to marry Dominic. Meg is Maria's identical twin. Their father is a bit of a bibliomaniac (which is relevant towards the end of the book). He didn't get on with his wife and a bit like "The Parent trap" the twins are split up. Maria stays with her father because she is prepared to live with his demands and tantrums whereas Meg goes to the Mother, who sounds like a feminist and an author. Meg and her mother have lived in poverty surviving on the mothers book receipts, Maria has lived a materially comfortable life with the father.

Meg has to track Maria down and the first stage is to find out whether Dominic was a factor in the flight. Some of the plot could be easily identified but that didn't lessen the enjoyment. Dominic is very repectful of Meg's feelings though Meg is not unexperienced in the flirting arts. Lots of lovely descriptions, very evocative.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

A totally twisting, turning humorous ride of a story! Loved how so many issues were covered regarding the rights of women. Meg is a delightful character who is bold, but also cares deeply for her family. Dominic began as a somewhat shallow character, but he develops so completely and grows as the story unfold. This is such a delightful story!

At his betrothal party Dominic receives some shocking news – the person he’s spent all evening with at the party isn’t Maria, his promised bride at all, but her identical twin sister Meg! Maria has run away and Meg begs Dominic to help find her as the wedding is only three weeks away.

An enjoyable and engaging storyline told from two points of view, Dominic and Meg, making the characters really come alive as they are faced with plenty of shocks and surprises. A gentle narrative, with some steam as you would expect from this author that blends into the storyline really well, as Dominic and Meg search for Maria whilst fighting their growing attraction to each other. The growth in their feelings reflects the growth of the unity in their fractured families as they come together to resolve their problems.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for giving me the opportunity to read their novel.

Some positives of this book is that I felt like the relationship between Dominic and Meg flourished in a was that felt somewhat believable. I think I liked both characters but honestly none of them really stood out as strong characters.

I really think the thing that made this book unlikable was the length. I felt like the plot just didn’t stop. I am not the one to say a book has too many words, but I simply thought we could have shorten this book 100 pages and still come to the same conclusion.

The intimate scenes also were oddly written. I had to take a short break after reading their novel phrase “pearl of Venus”

Not such a secret fact about me: I love regency romances. Can't get enough of them.

So, naturally, whenever an author whose books I've enjoyed in the past has a new one coming out, I'm beyond excited to get my hands on it. This was the case with A GENTLEMAN'S OFFER by Emma Orchard.

In a tale of mistaken identity with one twin impersonating the other, the sizzling desire and budding love story develop with a mystery of the "rightful" bride - FMC's sister - disappearing. We also have an absolutely evil Lord Nightingale, a half-brother who steps up to ocassion (Francis 🫶🏻🥺), a mother who's an author and a blackmail!

It was such a fun, quick read and I'm looking forward to more from Emma Orchard.

A GENTLEMAN'S OFFER publishes on March 22.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in an exchange for an honest review.

This is a great book for lovers of Pride and Prejudice and Bridgerton with a whimsy mysterious twist. The characters are clever and lovable.

I would suggest this is you want Georgette Heyer but with spice and modern thinking.
The characters are like able, sometimes annoying but likable.

3 stars!

"A Gentleman's Offer" is a historical romance following Dominic and Meg looking for Meg's missing twin sister - who Dominic is engaged to (arranged marriage) and Meg has swapped identities with. So fun! The synopsis compares the book to the Bridgerton series and it's similar because of the historical background, but otherwise very different - not a bad thing! A Gentleman's Offer reminded me a lot of Jane Austen's books and I loved the writing.

The book was fast paced and quick to get through. The adventure plot of finding Meg's sister was so fun, and the characters worked well together. The tension in their romance was great, but I would've liked for it to last a little longer before they got together. The romance was a little too rushed for my taste. I didn't feel too connected to the characters and would've liked a little more thoughts/feelings from them. I enjoyed the scandals and was kept entertained the whole book.

Overall, I thought this was fun and want to read more from this author. I think if you're in the mood for a fun, rom-com historical romance this is great, but it's not a must read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.