If Jane Austen and Jilly Cooper sat down to pen a novel together then perhaps it would look like this.
Full of regency charm and gorgeous characters that feel as though they could have been written by a novelist of the time but with a lot of added spice and plenty of moments to make this particular reader blush.

When Lady Georgiana turns up at a summer party with a friend of hers it becomes quickly apparent that this is not the place for a fine young lady of standing such as she.
And yet something or somebody makes her stay.

A man behind a mask, identities hidden, complete anonymity, carte blanche to misbehave - until of course what happens that night comes back to confront her as she is reunited by her hidden flame when she least expects it and the masks have been taken off.

Who hasn't accidentally found oneself at an orgy, been rescued by a handsome stranger, who turned out to be a Duke, and then found themselves staying at his home whilst he had a house party to choose a wife?
Amusing, regency romp with independently minded women, and dastardly baddies and a sexy hero, a crowd pleaser for fans of Bridgerton,

I really enjoyed my time with this book and the characters. There was romance, intrigue and a heartwarming edge. Oh and definitely some steamy moments. The plot itself moved pretty quickly and I was half way through the story before I even realised. Both Gabriel and Georgiana were engaging characters. I loved their interactions especially as they had so much fiery chemistry between them. However there was also a deep connection that the two were fighting against. This made their story even more entertaining and enjoyable.

A Duke of One’s Own was above all a fun read, with characters that made me smile. I couldn’t help but root for them. For me the romance was important but there was quite a bit more going on in the story along with a hint of danger that brought a deeper edge to proceedings. The minor characters also brought something to the story. Let’s just say that everything combined so well and kept me invested until the very end.

A Duke of One’s Own is a gorgeous historical romance, the perfect escape!

What a fun regency, historical romance! Loved this one by Emma Orchard. I read this without realizing it was part of a series and can’t wait to go back and read #1, and then #3 when it comes out later in the year!

I wasn't aware this was the second book in a series. At times I felt like I was missing some information, but all in all it could be read as a standalone.

I liked the like-able characters of the story, they felt well fleshed out.

Am intrigued about "Leaky Sue" - would really like to know how she came by her name.

I found this so difficult to finish. The style was inauthentic and struggled to find its voice. I also didn’t feel the chemistry between the characters were all that interesting. It was boring and predictable unfortunately

3.5 stars rounded down. Lady Georgiana Pendlebury has secrets that she doesn't want to come out. She was involved with a man who wanted to marry her, but was really only after her money. Her family refused him and his half sister invites Georgiana to a party to get back at her. The party is scandalous and she meets a man who steps in to save her, but has an intimate encounter with her as well. Later that summer, she is invited to a party, planned to enable Duke Gabriel Mauleverer to find a wife. What she didn't expect was that the Duke was the masked man from the previous party. They have another rendezvous and eventually strike up a close friendship. He would like to marry her, but she turns him down. Will he be able to convince her to become his bride.

From the beginning this book was steamy, way more steamy than I am used to. The story is pretty straight forward, but there are some bumps along the road. With the tonne, there is always some nastiness, and many who only want to marry for money or prestige, but Georgiana wants to marry for love. She finds Gabriel hard to resist, but doesn't want to marry just because they are lusting for one another. There was lots of fun banter, several steamy scenes and wonderful family support. This book definitely brought the first season of Bridgerton to mind as I read it. If you enjoy a steamy, sexy, Victorian romp, with likeable characters, then this book is for you.

I just could not get into this book. I tried several times to make head way with this but to no success. I did not like either MC and thought the heroine gullible IMO.

I received an ARC from NetGalley with thanks and submit my honest review herewith.

I don't know exactly what I didn't like about this book but I just found it a bit boring.

Everything seemed to either go very fast or very slow and I just found it a bit unbelievable. I much prefer the more modern historical romances as they are less dramatic and over the top.

DNF @26%

I love historical fiction romances where the woman is strong-minded and knows what she wants, and I thought 'A Duke of One's Own' would be perfect, unfortunately, it didn't turn out to be the case. In the beginning, we meet Georgiana who is rebellious and uncaring of her reputation, this was exactly what I wanted as a heroine. As the story progressed I felt like Georgiana suddenly just became boring. Once we are introduced to the Male Love Interest Gabriel, it suddenly becomes all about that. There's no coiling sexual tension that builds into a crescendo of just Spicy Love, but they were pretty much all over each other and couldn't talk about anything other than how much they wanted each other.

I did enjoy how Orchard wrote, while I am not a historian I felt her language and characterization of the time was spot on. I just wished that Orchard took as much time and care for the plot and relationship, as it just didn't hook me as much as I wanted to.

Overall, just not my cup of tea but it may be yours.

In this racy historical romance, readers travel to Regency England where Lady Georgiana Pendlebury embarks on a series of new romantic misadventures. After recently escaping from a romantic entanglement, Georgie finds herself at a very scandalous party and disappears with a strange man. Imagine her surprise when it turns out that her mystery lover is the Duke of Northriding, who is seeking a wife -- and Georgie is a strong candidate! The romantic and sexual tension is strong between them and very mutual, but is it enough for a marriage? A quick and racy romantic read, fans of Bridgerton will certainly enjoy the tension and the will-they-won’t-they of the novel. Georgie is a flawed but self-aware and adventurous heroine, and Gabriel, the Duke, is surprisingly complex below the surface. For romance and historical fiction readers expecting racy content will certainly enjoy this book, but readers less interested in such topics can enjoy this too (while skipping around such chapters). Orchard’s characters are the star of the novel, and the relationships between the protagonists and with the minor characters are also fun to read and witness, especially as Georgie and Gabriel grow over the course of this fun, racy, Regency-era historical fiction novel.

I really tried to like this book but something just wasn’t clicking. I loved how the main couple met in a unique way compared to other historical romances, but the author really didn’t use that meeting to her advantage. I don’t like how they had like two conversations, mostly about their first meeting, and then, all of a sudden, the MC is asking to marry her. I love the marriage of convenience trope, but this is not that trope.

It's far from being a bad book, but it's also far from being a memorable book; I don't think I'm in my prime of regency romance books. A Duke of Ones Own lacks a bit of attitude to make it stand out from the crowd, the characters are okay and the romance is cute, but it's not something I'll remember in a few months. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This wasn't marked as part of a series on Netgalley. So I feel like I missed a few things that tied in from the first book. The characters and their story fell flat to me and I had a hard time connecting.

This book was an absolute delightful surprise! I don't think I've read a historical romance quite like this before. What really made it for me was the heroine, and how absolutely unique she was to other book heroines.
To start, she finds herself in quite the predicament as she gets tricked into being in a compromising position. And this lady, who comes from an upstanding family, instead of running away, capitalizes on it. And that's all I'll say about that.

And maybe Georgiana surprised me because I hadn't read the other book(s) in this series. I got the feeling she was in those, at least a little bit. Don't concern yourself, however, with feeling like you can't read this until you've read the others. It wasn't confusing at coming into this book without the backstory of the previous couple (Georgiana's brother and sister-in-law).

I think one of the things I loved the most about this one, was the brilliant premise. Georgiana, after having an "experience" with a strange gentlemen that she didn't quite see without his mask, is just waiting to run into him again. Anxious about it because of what it could do to her reputation.

And, lo and behold, who does she run into when she travels to a house party with her--Duke of Northriding--the very man she was hoping to avoid. I loved the chemistry between these two! It was electric from the first page!

This writer is one to follow! Her characters were well-written, the story was humorous, yet engaging, and I was hooked from the prologue. This story captured me so much that I kind of went on a historical romance binge trying to chase that same feeling that this book provided.

I can't wait to read more from this author! She knows how to write some steamy and hilarious historical romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC of the book in exchange of an honest review.

I've been on a historical romance kick lately and this did not disappoint. It was funny and spicy and exactly what I needed at the moment. As Bridgerton season three is about to be released I think book will appeal to many readers.

A fun regency romance with some steamy moments, balancing the humour and romance perfectly.
Set in 1816, Lady Georgiana Pendlebury is navigating scandal and intrigue in Yorkshire
Will she find her happily ever after with Duke Gabriel, even though he has a terrible reputation as a rake
Even though it’s part of The Runaway Heiress series, it can be read as a stand alone novel
Pure escapism, perfect fans for Bridgerton
Thanks @emmaorchardbooks @boldwoodbooks & @netgalley for the fun regency romp

This review is being posted as part of the A Duke Of One’s Own blog tour hosted by Rachel’s Random Resources.

A Duke Of One’s Own is the latest compelling regency romance from author Emma Orchard. Set in 1816, in the middle of the regency era, our story is perfect for both seasoned regency readers and readers who are newer to the genre and it is packed full of all of your favourite regency romance tropes. This includes an age gap romance between a virgin heroine and a brooding older Duke and a forced marriage as a result of these characters being found in a compromising situation.

Emma Orchard is an incredible storyteller who had me hooked from the very first chapter. Her vivid descriptions made the Yorkshire coastal castle setting of Northriding Castle come alive on the page. The chapters set here felt very Gothic in style which I loved.

This is a lighter regency romance read which is perfect if you’re looking for something quick and steamy (no pun intended!). I easily read the whole book in a single sitting of a couple of hours thanks to how fast-paced and engaging the narrative was.

Lady Georgiana Pendlebury, or Georgie as she’s known by her loved ones, is our feisty and headstrong debutante FMC. Our brooding, swoon-worthy silver fox MMC is Gabriel Mauleverer, the Duke of Northriding. The way Gabriel talked about Georgie was gorgeous and he fell first, and harder, which was really well portrayed within the story.

Georgie and Gabriel had great chemistry and seeing such open and honest communication between the two of them was wonderful. We have lots of really hot spicy scenes throughout the book and they navigated the contrast of experience between Georgie as a virgin FMC and Gabriel as a more experienced and older MMC very well. Their great communication continued within their steamier encounters, particularly around consent and exploration of potential kinks, which was great to see within a regency romance.

A Duke Of One’s Own has great LGBTQIA+ representation within the story which was fantastic to see, especially as the representation came without any real comment outside of just total familial acceptance.

This is the second instalment of the The Runaway Heiress series but the story also works well as a standalone story and this was my introduction to the series.

Overall, A Duke Of One’s Own is a fantastic spicy regency romp, perfect when you want a lighter historical read which is still packed full of steam and romance. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the series has in store.

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice Level: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ / 5 (Explicit Open Door)

I have posted an extended review on my blog www.yourschloe.co.uk

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published are completely honest and my own, and are in no way influenced by the gifting opportunity. Thank you to Emma Orchard, Rachel’s Random Resources, Boldwood Books and NetGalley.

3.2 stars
One Liner: Lighthearted and steamy (but clunky too)

My Thoughts:
The story comes in the third-person POV of Georgiana (more) and Gabriel.
Firstly, why is this not marked as a series? Turns out, The Runaway Heiress is the first book of the series. This is the second. What the Lady Wants will be the third. While it works as a standalone, I couldn’t see the need for some details until I realized it was a part of a series. Then, it made sense.
The premise is interesting. The book starts great. However, the narrative is weighed down by some fluff and continues to be slow throughout. Lighthearted reads aren’t supposed to be this slow!
Georgiana is a contradiction. Some elements make her appealing. But she can also get on your nerves. Gabriel is relatively better, though I wouldn’t have minded a bit more depth.
Note that the book is very much a light read. I liked this aspect. The bits and pieces of humor elevate the story, especially when Georgiana rambles on.
I also like that the characters communicate even if they talk in circles. There is still some presumption, but no unwanted drama. They can sit and talk, which is a plus. It’s okay if what they say doesn’t always make sense to the other person. The important aspect is that they are willing to share it.
There’s no third-act breakup, another plus. Of course, there is some drama and attempts to cause a rift between the couple, but it is handled the way it should be. I like that it serves as a basis for another plot development.
There’s an unwanted chapter towards the end, which could have been shortened to a couple of paragraphs. Once the reader the end, they don’t want more fluff. They just need a nice rounded ending with an epilogue. We have an epilogue, but I could have done without the gossip and rumor chapter.
The book is promoted as a steamy romance, and it is. I’d put it around 3.5ish steam. Think of Lisa Kleypas or Stephanie Laurens (though Laurens would be min 4). Never mind that the author calls Georgette Heyer her inspiration.

To summarize, A Duke of One’s Own is an enjoyable read with a stronger second half. It would have been a 4-star with some of the clunks toned down. Still, I cannot deny that I was entertained by the book and am willing to more from the author.
Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
*****

"A Duke of One's Own is a fast-paced, intriguing love story." ~nerdywordyreviews

Lady Georgina has gained a well-known reputation for breaking the rules and behaving in ways that defy society's expectations for a woman, especially for a lady of grace. She promised her brother, who is now head of the household, that acting out of character will happen no more. However, when a friend invites her to a prim and proper masquerade party, Georgie is shocked to walk into a scandalous show. Shocked and attempting to leave, a man with piercing eyes and an attractive voice befriends her. Georgie does not leave the party right away. Weeks later, Georgina attends the Grand Duke's party that is being held for him to find a wife. She attends as a guest with her aunt, not as a participant vying for his attention. However, upon meeting the Duke for the first time.... piercing eyes make contact and the shock and realization for them both sets in. What will become of their shared secret?

A Duke of One's Own was a fast-paced read for me. I found the storyline was interesting right from the very beginning and continuing throughout the book.
There is some deception, forced proximity and unexpected turns of events that happen throughout the story.
The story has some different layers within it, highlighting some past events that bring up some present actions.
The author has written the romance in the book well and included spicy scenes throughout. The author carefully integrated all spicy scenes into the storyline and did not include them randomly.
This book exceeded my expectations and left me pleasantly surprised. From the book cover, I thought it to be a PG love story set in history, but it is not.
I recommend this read.