Freya was a woman of titled nobility but reduced due to a scandal involving her brother and the Greycourts. Christopher, brother’s childhood friend was also involved, and while Freya would like to set him in his place with revenge, it soon becomes apparent that Freya may not know all the details

Freya’s newest mission leads her to a house party in order to get close to Lord Randolph, a man who wants to pass a law to once again subject women to witch trials. Lord Randolph had a wife, a much younger woman, who died under questionable circumstances, and Freya wants to make sure Lord Randolph didn’t get away with murder. Little did she know that Christopher, now Duke of Harlow, would also be at this house party. Christopher accepts the invitation to deal with a despicable man trying to blackmail him.

As they each deal with their own challenges they can’t help but be drawn to each other. Freya, because she loved Christopher once upon a time, even though she’s angered over his part in her brother’s ruin. Christopher can’t resist the feisty woman who pushes his every button with her sharp wit and cutting words. Soon they’re stealing away to satisfy the fiery passion between them and I could feel the heat coming off the pages every time they came together!

I love that Freya was a strong woman, not really influenced by societal norms here. She’s undercover, hiding the fact that she’s a duke’s daughter to get close to those who would reinstate antiquated laws in order to punish and subject woman who don’t fit into their boxed expectations. Even though I liked Freya I was a little irritated with her actions in the end. A smart woman should use all her assets to keep safe, such as asking for backup or help when facing danger. Going off alone isn’t the wisest thing in my opinion, especially a woman facing off with a man. Her resistance to Christopher was annoying, too, even though it was clear she loved him as he loved her. Thankfully, these situations weren’t long and drawn out so I still really enjoyed the story.

Elizabeth Hoyt’s historical romances are always beautifully written, sensual and captivating so I was excited to dive into her new series. Not the Duke’s Darling was an entertaining start to what looks to be a fantastic series! Can’t wait for the next story!

A copy was kindly provided by Forever via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Freya de Moray wows readers and draws them into her story with excitement and a hint of a troubled past. Not the Duke's Darling, the first of Elizabeth Hoyt's new Greycourt series, introduces a group of childhood friends torn apart by tragedy and the first steps to repair the bonds they once cherished.

As a ranking member of The Wise Women, Freya lives her life helping women and children in need. Her mission is to prevent a law that will allow the burning of witches from passing. It does not include reconnecting with her family's enemy, Christopher Renshaw. Now the Duke of Harlowe, Christopher is trying to hold off a blackmailer and protect his late wife's reputation. Freya's appearance brings to light the events that happened at Greycourt, when one of his best friends nearly died.

I'm so eager to know what really happened that night, because Freya only relates to the event based on the aftermath and her brother's response. I love that this story presents a tragedy with parts of the truth missing. Everyone involved has a different perspective about what happened and some of them haven't even been introduced yet. That single even helped shaped Freya's view of the world and her decision to work with The Wise Women. I would love to see how other characters, like Messalina and her brother, were affected.

The Greycourt series begins with an unconventional courtship and a little danger! This story is perfect for fans of Grace Burrowes or Amelia Grey.
*ARC provided in consideration for review*

Hard as it is for readers when a favourite, long-running series ends, it must be equally so for the author who has lived with those characters and scenarios for years – and who then has to follow up that success with something new that will continue to please fans of the previous books as well as, hopefully, gain them new ones. Having closed the book on the hugely popular Maiden Lane series last year, much-loved author Elizabeth Hoyt now faces that particular challenge, and presents the first book in a new Georgian era series about the Greycourt family and their immediate circle – Not the Duke’s Darling.

If you’ve looked at the advance reviews on Goodreads, you’ll have seen a plethora of four and five star reviews for the book, so I’m afraid I’m going to be a dissenting voice. Not the Duke’s Darling was Difficult to Get Through. It took me twice as long as it would normally have taken me to read a book of this length, mostly because I was able to put it down easily and wasn’t engaged enough to want to pick it up again. There were a variety of reasons for this, not least of which are that the book is disjointed, episodic and overstuffed with plot, the heroine is hard to like, and the romance is woefully underdeveloped.

The Greycourt series is predicated on a tragedy that occurred some fifteen years earlier which tore apart three families who had previously been very close. The death of sixteen-year-old Aurelia Greycourt, who had been set to elope with eighteen-year-old Ranulf de Moray, eldest son of the Duke of Ayr, had far ranging repercussions which left Ran crippled and near death, and his friend, Christopher Renshaw, hustled away to India and an arranged marriage with a young woman he’d met exactly twice before.

Ran, who inherited the title Duke of Ayr almost immediately after these events, lives as a recluse and his brother Lachlan administers the dukedom. Ran’s sisters – Caitriona, Elspeth and twelve-year-old Freya – were sent to live with their Aunt Hilda in a remote village in the Scottish Highlands, where they learned the ways of the ancient secret society of Wise Women, a group dedicated to helping women throughout Britain utilising their centuries-old knowledge of herbs and healing. Once a thriving group of thousands, the witch hunts of the previous centuries have decimated their number and even though these were made illegal by Witchcraft Act of 1735, old beliefs and superstitions continue to run rife, and Wise Women still run the risk of accusations of witchery being levelled against them.

Fifteen years after the death of Aurelia, Freya de Moray has risen through the ranks of the Wise Women to become their Macha – she calls herself their ‘spy’, as it’s her job to keep her ear to the ground to find out what is being said about them and also to find causes for them to interest themselves in. At the beginning of the book, Freya is racing through the streets of East London on her latest mission when she ends up jumping into the carriage of Christopher Renshaw, the man she blames for what happened to Ran and the destruction of her family.

Freya may be the sister of a duke, but she no longer lives as one, having taken a position as companion to Lady Holland and her two daughters while she fulfils her duties as Macha. Freya has learned that support is gaining ground in Parliament for a new Witch Act which would make witch-hunting legal again, and that its main proponent, Lord Randolph, is going to be present at an upcoming house party to which Lady Holland has been invited. Freya has heard that there is some suspicion concerning the recent death of Randolph’s wife and reckons that if she can dig up enough dirt on him, she’ll be able to blackmail him into withdrawing the bill.

Up to this point in the story, we’ve had two points of view; as is common in most romances, we hear from the hero and the heroine. But after we arrive at the house party, a third voice is introduced, that of Messalina Greycourt, Freya’s former best friend. It turns out Messalina is well aware that Freya is now working as a companion, although she has no idea why, and she has decided, so far, not to expose her as the sister of the Duke of Ayr. Messalina and her sister, Lucretia (references to other siblings indicate they’re all named after Roman emperors and empresses) are also attending the house party, and are also intent on finding out exactly what happened to Lady Randolph, who was a dear friend of Messalina’s

In the meantime, Christopher Renshaw, who has returned from India a widower and has become Duke of Harlowe, is intrigued by the drab but surprisingly feisty companion who seems set on crossing swords (both literally and metaphorically) with him at every turn. He has come to the house party in order to confront a blackmailer who is extorting an outrageous sum of money in return for the letters written to him by Christopher’s wife while they lived in India.

So… we’re not even half way into the book and we’ve got Wise Women (and I’m sorry, but whenever I read those words, all I could think of was the “she is the Wise Woman” scene in Blackadder), two lots of blackmail, a mysterious death and a parliamentary plot; the story is being told in three different PoVs… dare I say it’s no wonder the romance is squeezed out to the extent it’s practically non-existent?

Christopher has the makings of a decent hero. Pushed into an arranged marriage when he was just eighteen, he tried to be a good husband and to take care of his young wife, and he blames himself for the circumstances of her death. Given he last saw Freya when she was twelve, it’s not hard to accept that it takes him a while to recognise her, and I appreciated that once he does realise who she is, he doesn’t waste time in telling her the truth – as far as he knows it – of what happened on the night Aurelia died. There’s still a mystery surrounding her death, which I presume will be solved in a future book, but Freya realises that she’s misjudged Christopher all these years and begins to unbend towards him, which allows them to acknowledge and explore the attraction between them. But their relationship is dreadfully underdeveloped, the chemistry between them is notable only by its absence, and the sex scenes, which Ms. Hoyt normally excels at writing, feel forced and hurried.

I had a hard time getting a handle on Freya and began to actively dislike her towards the end of the book, mostly because of the way she treats Christopher. I understand that it can be very difficult to create strong, independent heroines in the context of historical romance because women had so few options and so little agency at the time many of them are set. Unfortunately, however, many authors fall into the trap of trying to show their heroine’s strength and independence by having her running roughshod over the hero and treating him like his feelings don’t matter – and that sort of inequality does not a good romantic relationship make. (For the record – I don’t like it when the situation is reversed, either. A good romance should be about an equality of minds and outlook, not one character getting one over on the other). Freya crossed the line between strong and independent, and insensitive and stupidly pig-headed once too often.

I feel like I haven’t really scratched the surface of Not the Duke’s Darling (another completely nonsensical title that has nothing to do with the story) in this review, but there is so much going on I just can’t fit it all in. I haven’t even mentioned the Dunkelders, for example, men out to capture and wipe out the Wise Women; and the plotline concerning Lady Randolph’s death is resolved in a manner I can only describe as ridiculously melodramatic. Characterisation and relationship building are the major casualties of this train-wreck of a novel, and much as it pains me – as a fan of Ms. Hoyt’s – to say it, I really can’t recommend it.

I'm still relatively new to Elizabeth Hoyt but I fully intend make up for lost time. I normally love my historical romance to be on the light side with lots of witty banter. While there is banter there's a decided edge to the banter and the mood is much more dark than romp. However, that didn't keep me from thoroughly enjoying this book right from the start.

Freya is all action with lots of prickles and an enormous backstory. Christopher is dragging around and equally fraught backstory and has walls built around his walls. He does have a dog named Tess who in my head is a yellow lab mix and I want to hug her. They have serious chemistry with a hefty dose of antagonism.

This book features two of my least favorite plot devices - hidden identity and revenge - but somehow here it just works. It helps that the hidden identity isn't so much hidden as one not recognizing the other and the other not mentioning exactly who they are. I don't know exactly why the revenge worked but it did!

This wasn't flawless. I found all the mentions of Wise Women a bit annoying after awhile and it always drives me crazy when there's a huge traumatic event in the characters' past that's only vaguely mentioned but isn't fully explained - or at least not for more than a quarter of the book. However, these were fairly mild annoyances and didn't keep me from enjoying the book in the slightest.

All the Scottish mentions, the house party, the suspense, and the mystery mixed in with the romance made this fantastic snuggle under a blanket with a hot cup of tea winter reading.

"New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Hoyt brings us the first book in her sexy and sensual Greycourt Series!

Freya de Moray is many things: a member of the secret order of Wise Women, the daughter of disgraced nobility, and a chaperone living under an assumed name. What she is not is forgiving. So when the Duke of Harlowe, the man who destroyed her brother and led to the downfall of her family, appears at the country house party she's attending, she does what any Wise Woman would do: she starts planning her revenge.

Christopher Renshaw, the Duke of Harlowe, is being blackmailed. Intent on keeping his secrets safe, he agrees to attend a house party where he will put an end to this coercion once and for all. Until he recognizes Freya, masquerading among the party revelers, and realizes his troubles have just begun. Freya knows all about his sins-sins he'd much rather forget. But she's also fiery, bold, and sensuous-a temptation he can't resist. When it becomes clear Freya is in grave danger, he'll risk everything to keep her safe. But first, he will have to earn Freya's trust...by whatever means necessary."

Isn't it lovely to have a new series to start for the holidays? And there aren't any other books of equal quality coming out this week either!

First in the new Greycourt series, Hoyt starts us off with a spot of danger as our heroine, Freya, is on the run from some men and finds herself face to face with her childhood crush, Christopher, but who she also blames for her brother's downfall. There's some background foundation to the hows and whys of where are characters are at in life. The main thread is Freya's brother, Ran, tried to elope with Julian Greycourt's sister, she ended up dying (we aren't given specifics), and Christopher just stood by while Ran was beaten bad enough he ended up losing his right hand. Ran, Julian, and Christopher were bestfriends but this fractured their bond and they all separated, the other members of the family cut ties all with each other also.

The Wise Women had long been hunted by Dunkelders— nasty, superstitious fanatics who knew about the Wise Women and believed they were witches who should be burned.

While the ill fated elopement gave us the underlining emotional tones, the Wise Women that Freya is the Macha (spy) for, gives us the suspense as she is trying to stop a law in the House of Lords that gives free reign to declaring women witches along with her trying to hide from members of the Dunkelders, men who hunt “witches”. These are the two main plot threads but there are numerous other ones, some slight and others weighty, that at times only clog an already full story. Christopher has PTSD induced anxiety from his time in India, we get povs from an old friend of Freya's, Messalina Greycourt, who's storyline looks to be set-up for the next in the series, an imprisoned wife, and a whole slew of secondary characters that get little mini-plots of their own. I like full stories but none of these threads or plots were fully fleshed out and it left a lot feeling shallow and dull.

This, this was what he’d been missing without even realizing it: genuine conversation. Genuine feeling.

The romance and chemistry between Christopher and Freya was severely lacking for me; I had more fond feelings for the relationship between him and his dog. Hoyt has been a favorite with word play, sexual and taunting, but these two never sparked; it felt like he just found her attractive out of nowhere, while she relied on childhood feelings and the color of his pretty blue eyes. While their bedroom scenes didn't start ridiculously early, besides kissing once or twice, when they do start to get hot and heavy, Freya's first move is to give him a blowjob, because of course. The latter second half brought more sexual scenes but I almost found myself skimming them as their emotional connection wasn't there.

He might be a duke now, but she was a de Moray woman , small, swift, and above all ruthless.

My biggest disappoint and what frustrated me the most was that Hoyt introduced these interesting ideas, plots, or instances but they all happen off script. The intense ill fated elopement? Happens before this story takes place, no prologue to introduce, show, and explain the basis for the whole the series. Christopher's time in India? No flash back scenes to help immerse the reader into the emotional turmoil of his PTSD or his relationship with is first wife. Freya spending time with the Wise Women? It takes an absurd amount of time for the reader to even get a full explanation of who and what the Wise Women are, let alone the author writing and showing scenes of Freya interacting with the women. This could have been a great emotional fulfillment moment of showing women taking care of one another, bucking the system in a way they could, and female bonding while providing a solid and understandable reason for why this group was so important to Freya and why she might shy away from marrying Christopher.

I missed Hoyt's normally atmospheric writing, I did not feel the time period at all, and the sexual heat between the leads that she has a knack for expressing. This honestly felt kind of generic and with dukes popping up everywhere, I'm not sure I could pick this book out of a lineup. The second book is set-up here and with two leads that at least seem like they have some spark, I will give it a try but am hoping for more showing than telling and emotion.

I may have enjoyed the fairy tale Hoyt starts each chapter with better than the actual story! She's started a new series after completing her Maiden Lane series which would be hard to top. She does an admirable job trying. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

I've been excited for a new Elizabeth Hoyt series! I can tell this one is off to a great start!

The romance and chemistry between Freya and Christopher seem palatable. I love how we get insights from some of the secondary characters and hints of things to come.

This has Powerful kickass women and men who appreciate them, as you come to expect in an E.H. novel! It won't disappoint. But will leave you needing more of other characters.

❝He was a man, both good and bad and everything in between.
A man who made her very aware that she was a woman of blood and bone and wants.❞

Confession time ... this is my first, Elizabeth Hoyt book. I know, I KNOW. You don't need to tell me what a fool I've been. Or what I've missed out on, because this book was an EXPERIENCE. It was an adventure. It was a treat.

Historical romance has never been my go-to choice for reading, but as I get older, I find I'm enjoying them more. 'Not the Dukes Darling' was a time travel experience that delighted this notice historical romance reader.

I love Hoyt's voice, tone and writing style. She tempers her descriptions, providing just enough to paint a picture forcing the reader to envision the backdrop and experience the emotions.

❝For years he'd been exiled from these shores. Had lived in a country with foreign sights and smells and people and he had thought all that time -- thirteen years -- that when he returned to England, his birthplace, everything would be different.
That he would be home.
Except when he returned it was to a title too grand. To parents dead and friendships destroyed and turned to dust. To grand manors that echoed with his solitary footsteps when he walked through them.
England was no longer home. All that he could've built and loved there had been lost as he spent his youth in India. It was too late to find a home now.
He did not belong anywhere.❞

That is until Christopher Renshaw, the Duke of Harlowe found Miss Stewart, Lady Holland's companion, (Freya de Moray). There was something familiar about the beautiful, understated woman that reminded Christopher of his childhood. She pushed him, fought with him, and yet, she excited him.

❝She glowed, a fire, burning brightly, luring him closer, appearing to offer him peace.
❝You drive me mad, little thief,❞ he whispered, and gave in to the constant, terrible temptation.
He kissed her.❞

He yearned to have her beauty in his life, for her to set at ease thunderstorm that brewed within him. He wanted her soft lips to only spit hatred at him and her green-gold eyes to gaze only at him.

With a guilt-ridden Duke who's being blackmailed and a beautiful, mysterious ladies companion who is not who she seems; 'Not the Dukes Darling', was a wonderful historical adventure with mystery, intrigue, romance, and humor.

I really enjoyed the first book Elizabeth Hoyt’s new series! I’ve been so attached to her Maiden Lane books and am happy to report I’m just as smitten with a new cast of characters.

Freya and Christopher are wonderful characters and their love story was a pleasure to read. Both characters had charm and hints of vulnerability. I love when an author creates two people who the reader can tell belong together and truly make each other better. The cast of siblings, friends, and neighbors make for a very promising future!

The book combines elements of mystery with a traditional romance. I won’t give any of the plot away but if you’re a historical fan, you should love this! The writing is smooth, the story moves at a great pace, and the amount of heat between Freya and Christopher is just perfect.

Definite recommendation!

I loved Freya and Christopher's story!

Freya is working as a chaperone under a fake name, but her real job is working as a Wise Woman. She is to attend a house party where she needs to learn the truth about a woman's death. It could mean the survival of her and the other Wise Women. While there, she runs into an old family friend. He used to be best friend's with her brother, but when tragedy struck, the friendship dissolved. Freya is worried that he will recognize her and blow her cover, luckily he doesn't.

Christoper is at the house party to confront a blackmailer. He is intrigued by the chaperone that attends but can't figure out why she can't stand him. As he spends time with her, he is more and more intrigued and determined to learn what he has done to deserve her ire. What will happen when he learns the truth of Freya's identity?

I throughly enjoyed this story! I loved all the bantering between the characters and I was often laughing out loud while reading. This was an excellent start to a new series and I can't wait to read the next book!

This book gave me head-scratching moments. I just found myself confused about Freya, Wise Women and the Duke’s blackmailer. Like many readers I don’t like “info dumps”, especially in first books of a new series and I’m sure Ms. Hoyt knows that and avoids it, but we are left in the dark for long periods and I would have welcomed some more information about the mystery of Aurelia’s death and also other issues. Coincidences abound, Freya jumps into the Duke’s carriage while out-running bad guys in London and then they are both at the same house party along with another person from their past.

Even though Ms. Hoyt writes well I can’t give this book more than 3-stars. I will read the next in the series because this is a terrific author and I think future books will be better.

(Review to be posted on Dec. 6)

Not the Duke’s Darling kicks off Elizabeth Hoyt’s Greycourt series, which revolves around three aristocratic families whose lives were completely upended after a tragedy hit them 15 years ago. Freya de Moray’s life completely changed after the Greycourt tragedy and she partly blames Christopher Renshaw, now the Duke of Harlowe, for destroying her brother and contributing to her family’s downfall. Freya is now a member of the Wise Women, a secret group of women with ancient history, whose goal is to help women who are failed by society. When Freya attends a house party to investigate a matter, she’s surprised to find Christopher there. But what better way to plan and execute her revenge?

For the fans of Hoyt’s Maiden Lane books, Not the Duke’s Darling is also a dark read, but in a different way – it feels more gothic, with family secrets and imposing country estates. I think the author did a fantastic job setting up the series and the characters who will most likely be getting their own story later in the series. She does all of this without taking anything away from the primary romance. The story was a little slow-moving, but it wasn’t boring because Hoyt knows how to craft a compelling story. The first half of the book was especially addicting. Hoyt does a fantastic job laying out the history surrounding the three families affected by the Greycourt tragedy. She gives us hints here and there to lead us in one direction, only to pull something out that takes you aback, but at the same time, makes sense. I love the way she slowly unravels the threads tying this tragedy – the pacing was just right and it kept my attention. I love the scene where Hoyt reveals everything that the hero and heroine remember about the incident that ties so many wounded people together. It was brilliantly done. There was enough mystery to engage the reader and lots of emotions to make the reader feel the pain these characters have kept inside themselves. I am eager to read about this incident from the other characters' perspective in the future books.

My main problem with this book has to do with the heroine. I started this book disliking the hero and cheering for the heroine. But…I ended the book disliking the heroine and loving the hero. I don’t actively hate Freya (she has her awesome moments), but I feel she was very hypocritical at times. I don’t like the way she quickly dismissed the hero and made assumptions about the reason why he offered her help. I understand that her level of independence is high, given her upbringing with the Wise Women, where she was secluded and lived in an entirely different world. I get why she made certain decisions, but I had a hard time understanding why she got prickly when the hero offered her help. He wasn’t even condescending about it. In fact, Christopher is practically the perfect hero who's fair and kind. Accepting a man’s help doesn't make a woman any less independent and it took Freya a little too long to realize this. I’m honestly a little tired of historical romance heroines who think their independence is threatened because of love, desire, and most of all, the hero. On top of that, Freya was super cynical about marriage, which I got tired of real quickly. Her moment of epiphany was great, but it wasn’t enough for me to love her. I think she should have grovelled, but that’s just me.

Speaking of the Wise Women’s world, we got a lot of background information on it, but I wish we got to explore that world more deeply, with Freya living there. And I am super curious about the other characters who were affected by the Greycourt tragedy and how they would react to the events in this book. But I think my curiosity will be assuaged in the next few books because that's how Hoyt usually sets up her series.

As per Hoyt’s signature move, we are given a glimpse into the next book’s couple and I. AM. SO. EXCITED. OMG. I honestly think the next book is going to be awesome, given who I think the hero and heroine will be. Now…I just have to wait an entire year. Sigh.

This novel is a confusing mess. I liked the principal characters and that's about it.

I can understand the need for world building when launching a new series, but the opening sequence is completely disorienting and I couldn't figure out what on earth was going on. Things did not improve as the novel progressed. Ms. Hoyt tells too much and then when we want to know more, she assumes readers can fill in the blanks. I couldn't get into the rhythm or flow of the novel, and I was lost for most of it.

The romance is sweet although there's much too little of it and I liked the nicknames.

I am a big Hoyt fan; I'm not a fan of this book.

Childhood friends, a feminist heroine, blackmail, secrets and some dangerous mystery drive this story forward, while introducing a new setting and set of characters. Freya de Mornay is a feminist through and through, with her determination to right the wrongs done to her family, disgraced by the man whom she was friendly with as a child. She’s living a lie right now -with hiding her feminist tendencies that are far more progressive than would be acceptable in society, and she’s hiding behind an alias – the family disgrace would leave her without options to pursue her interests and agenda – and being able to act as a chaperone allows her access to events that her own name would leave her out of. Christopher Renshaw is now the Duke of Harlowe, and is being blackmailed for secrets from his past – spotting Freya, who knows everything about him from his early years – he thinks he may have found the culprit.

From an amazing set up, with plenty of questions to be answered and the promise of some truly dangerous machinations for both their physical well-being and the emotional connection between them, the story quickly was mired in multiple subplots that were vaguely concocted and overly simplistic, I never truly felt connected to the relationship as it developed between Freya and Christopher. Additionally, the plethora of name choices from actual to family, fake to real, kept much of the connection that should have been built in a sort of ‘watch and see’ zone: with a constant need to remind myself of who each character is, let alone what other ‘traits’ they attempted (in Freya’s case) to change for their alias. What stood out was Christopher and his own struggles with a PTSD-like set of reactions to varied situations, and his willingness to believe that the Freya of the current day is the same one he knew as a child. He was solidly developed, and utterly honorable, even with secrets, that made him the standout in this story, even with the feminist approach to Freya and her stubborn (and frequently annoying) determination to view everything in an us v them, man v woman mode that just didn’t allow what character was there to develop in ways that would make Christopher’s fascination and admiration plausible. When the climax should have happened and felt more ‘threat’ from the mystery promised, the story fell rather flat and wasn’t helped by the simple feeling race to the end, few red herrings or actual tension just didn’t make that pan out. Yes, they had a connection that felt very one sided and seemed to have Christopher making most of the effort, but I just wasn’t overjoyed with this story or the characters introduced, and don’t see myself continuing the series.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-acy/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I really <i>love</i> this series concept. The first book was great, and I'm crossing my fingers that <spoiler>Messalina and/or Ranulf</spoiler> get their own book(s).

<b>Pros</b>: TESS, so much Christopher, sexy feminist <spoiler>role reversal first times</spoiler>, female friendships ftw, spiraling family tragedies, and secret feminist cabals—<spoiler>thank you especially for the awesomeness of the "feminist political activists" and "female midwives and medical practitioners" accused of being witches but nothing paranormal's going on. It's just the "better than the norm" factor of women being amazing and kicking ass. (How is that plot line not used ALL the time? It's the best.)</spoiler>

<b>Cons</b>: The mystery plot was good, but I was expecting a little more to the resolution considering how much build up went into it.

<b>Diversity rep notes</b>: Christopher shows PTSD symptoms and you can definitely see Tess functioning as a therapy dog for him in a really awesome way. A white & (presumably) het & cisgender default beyond Freya noting that non-specific women have romantic relationships with women within the Wise Women in passing when considering a relationship with Christopher. There's a non-WASP side character whose 'possibly Jewish or Spanish' physical features are mentally described from the POV of one character in a less than flattering way and who's portrayed as potentially villainous; but that's a TBC/TBD thing, I'm guessing.

<b>tl;dr</b>: Seriously, sign me up for the sequels.

I am all for an independent heroine but the strong focus on this trait made Freya de Moray come off as obnoxiously stubborn. It took away from the belief she could form a romantic connection with Christopher Renshaw, the Duke of Harlowe, At one point I really enjoyed Harlowe's infatuation with Freya but when she constantly argued with him (much as a 3 year-old old would do in the middle of a temper tantrum) he started to come off as a door mat. I loved every single Maiden Lane book and I hope as this series continues it can get back to the writing i have come to love and expect from Elizabeth Hoyt.

This book was just okay for me. There wasn’t a lot of conflict, even though Freya considered Christopher her enemy. She blames him for her family’s ruin and her brother’s fate, and wants to get revenge on him. Now, she’s a member of a secret women’s society that aids and protects women in need, and though she’s the daughter of a duke and sister of a duke (I never figured out who was who), she masquerades as a lady’s companion. But she’s also on a secret mission to bring down a lord who plans to introduce a new witch law to prosecute witches presumably by burning, etc. Meanwhile, Che

Through various coincides, Freya and Christopher, her brother’s childhood friend and now a duke himself, they cross paths. Their first meet was cute and funny, their clandestine trysts were hot, the sex scenes were well-written, and the banter was witty and fun. They verbally sparred a lot because she had that spitfire personality that made Christopher feel alive again. They liked each other because of they challenged each other; intellectually and sexually they were equally matched. They were also both aristocrats.

Despite having enemies, I never felt like their lives were in real danger. I didn’t feel like their relationship was in real danger either. Neither she nor Christopher were very complex characters. Though Freya had progressive views about marriage and women’s rights, I didn’t feel like she had much to lose. She had more luxury and freedom than most women, and didn’t have worries about her quality of life. They were bother very privileged and acted like it, especially Christopher, who would snap his fingers at servants.

There wasn’t as much tension between them as I expected from the book description. She forgave him rather easily IMO. And I didn’t quite understand why she changed her mind about marrying him. This book also didn’t have the emotional highs and lows, all the feels I look for in romance novels. This wasn’t one of the author’s better works, and I hope the next one improves the series.

This book started off strong for me, and then kind of went downhill. I loved that the main character Freya was super feminist and part of a secret organization of women that helps women. At the beginning of the novel Freya runs into an old family friend turned enemy, and finds a way to put herself in his path so she can get revenge. Putting herself in his way means attending the same house party as the Duke of Harlowe. While there, she realizes she has other business to attend to for the Wise Women, the secret organization she's a part of.

Halfway through the book I forgot what the main plot of the story is. Freya is supposed to get revenge on Harlowe, but they're pretty cordial (if a little snappy) to each other. She's also supposed to get information on someone else, but nothing happens with that until the end of the book.

There was also one part of the novel that really lowered my rating of the book. I don't want to give too much away, but there's a neurodiverse character who wasn't introduced and was used more as a twist and a way for the story to progress. The few times this character was mentioned, she was described as a helpless person who doesn't know any better.

Unfortunately I did not get what I wanted with this book, and am not sure if I want to continue with the series. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half, but things started to go downhill after that and I couldn't enjoy the story anymore.

The only thing better than a new Elizabeth Hoyt book is when it’s the start of a new series. If the rest of the Greycourt series is as good as this first book, readers will be in heaven. Especially if you’re like me and love a little mystery and suspense with your romance.
What was unique with this story was that usually either the romance or the mystery is key in the story with the other taking a back seat. For example, a romance with some mystery or vice versa. In Not the Duke’s Darling, I felt both romance and mystery were tied together. One doesn’t take away from or overshadow the other. In other words, both the mystery and romance are perfectly balanced to tell a wonderful and captivating story.I loved all the revelations, twists, and turns. The mystery of Lady Randolph and the even bigger mystery of what really happened 15 years ago kept me riveted. Freya and Christopher’s romance wouldn’t have occurred without the events of that fateful night. A night that had altered everyone touched by it. A night where friends should have turned to one another for comfort but instead had turned away. A decision that haunted them all for 15 years.
There was much to love beyond Freya and Christopher’s romance as well. The Wise Women, the secret society established to right the wrongs of a man led society was fascinating. I adored all the strong women in the book. Freya and all the women had backbone and were capable of handling themselves in difficult situations. I’m especially anxious for Messalina’s story next. I worry that she may underestimate the evil of her uncle. Even the animals were wonderful. Every dog lover will fall in love with Tess. A loyal friend, a trusted companion, and a perfect emotional support dog.
I’m so excited for the rest of this series. Leave it to Elizabeth Hoyt to deliver a heart thumping love story, intriguing plot, and incredible characters you love rooting for. This author hooks me every time and I can’t wait to see what comes next.