Although the denoument is rushed, this is a fun beauty and the beast with a spooky house and a hero whose trauma sort of makes sense in an era of low information and isolation.

An unusual hero, Oliver, is a recluse due to his appearance. A heroine, Rebecca, is the down to earth commoner bought to marry him. This is definitely a Beauty and the Beast story. It was a fast and good read! I received this ARC for my honest review.

This was definitely an original. Oliver, The Duke of Kendal, has gone most of his days without hardly anyone laying eyes on him. He lives a secluded life at Horncliffe Manor. The only person he has interaction with his distant cousin, and long time guardian, Mr. Winters. Wanting to continue his line, he sees a woman in a painting and sends Mr. Winters to bring her to him in a marriage by proxy,

Rebecca Kane has no choice but to marry the Duke due to her father's gambling debts that Mr. Winter's holds. Somehow the vibrant Rebecca makes the most of her situation and quickly shows Oliver that he is not a beast.

The love between the characters was touching but could have been more so without the far-fetched storyline that made it hard to see beyond the fiction.

This was my first time reading Jane Goodger but it definitely will not be my last. I absolutely loved this book and had trouble putting it down. Our hero, Oliver, is a recluse who sees Rebecca in a painting and instantly knows that he must have her. Thanks to her gambling father and the scheming of Mr. Winters, Rebecca is married to a man she has never laid eyes on. Our heroine knows that something must be wrong with our hero. Who would marry someone they have never met? Once Rebecca arrives, she learns that her husband is considered a monster by his staff and that he has condition. This is the point where I really started to love the book, instead of acting like a ninny and believing the staff, Rebecca is no-nonsense and decides that the whispers cannot be true. And the condition is revealed in short order and was handled very well, in my opinion. One thing that stands out about this book is that there is no great misunderstanding for 75% of the book, our H and h don't hold back their feelings until the last page, and this was wonderful. Instead, what you have is a book that has romance, passion, and a great mystery. I thought that the pacing of the book was very well, and was the villain and the eventual resolution. Everything in this book was done well. And it was just so refreshing that there wasn't a huge conflict or a misunderstanding that drove the two apart. If I could give this book ten stars, it wouldn't be enough. Do yourself a favor and buy this book.

This was a book with an interesting premise. You have a reclusive Duke locked away in his castle by the sea who sees a woman in a painting that he decides to wed. The heroine has a gambling father who agreed to marry her off to this Duke by proxy to pay off a debt. The Duke has been led to believe be is a monster so stays in the shadows until his wife pulls him into the light. There is an intriguing mystery as well. My only issue was the idea of someone going from being a recluse that did not interact with people to becoming the center of attention and popularity in London. Overall it was a good book.

This was the first book I've read from this author and I really enjoyed it. The story was different from anything I've read recently and really captured my attention.

A romance with a little more to say than a normal Regency. I liked the flawed characters, but it was the accurate social behaviors that reeled me into the story. Goodger provides her readers with the perfect amount of romance, escapist reading and realistic tones to appeal to readers who do want more than just a happy romance.

It’s been a while since I’ve so enjoyed an f/m romance. This was truly an enthralling, highly surprising read with the perfect smidgeon of suspense thrown in.

The premise of this book is a bit formulaic, but the way the author went about it from there is amazing. The mystery surrounding Oliver was grippingly written and was resolved in the most surprising way. I love that we get such an atypical hero in this romance. Rebecca is a lovely heroine, not too helpless but not too much of a wonder woman either that solves every issue without breaking a sweat (or gently perspiring). I love how girl next door she is and that she has insecurities too, even when Oliver so clearly adores her.

There’s an uneasy tension throughout the book, danger lurks in dark corners and hidden passageways, or doesn’t it? You can never quite be sure and neither are Oliver and Rebecca. Really enjoyed how that all played out.

Review excerpted from my blog post over at FanSciHist (https://fanscihist.wordpress.com/2019/06/10/the-reluctant-duchess-by-jane-goodger/)

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Library recommendation: Recommended for public library historical romance and/or gothic romance collections.

Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.


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Number of titles I have read by this author: 1

Love story speed: Fast (or, as I wrote in my notes, “Vroom”)

Relationship dynamics: The Lowborn Lady (h) / The Reclusive Duke (H)

Sexual content: Oodles; explicit, but not overly so

Triggers: Emotional abuse (of H, not by h); physical abuse (of h and others, not by H); sexual assault (not of h, not by H); murder (not by H or h); bullying

Grammar/Editing: This ARC included some use of incorrect vocabulary (e.g. censor vs. censure), some typos, and incorrect character references that will hopefully be resolved in the final, published version. The book also included some sudden and unclear changes in points of view.

Review: The pacing of this story is excellent and the historical setting is accurate. It also has all of the hallmarks of a fantastic Victorian gothic tale: the dark unknown, a creepy manor with untold secrets, rumors of ghosts that haunt the halls, frightened villagers. You name it, this tale has it.

Rebecca is the daughter of a squire with no aspirations to marry above her station. She is patient, understanding, and kind. Oliver is a timid soul with a condition that has seen him hidden away from the world, experiencing things outside his manor only as his guardian has seen fit to show him. Their relationship is sweet and develops very quickly, although not inexplicably so. Quite a lot of time is spent by the author in explicating Oliver’s condition, once revealed, but this wasn’t too overdone. The supporting characters are interesting and some are given fascinating sub-plots but rest assured that all loose ends are tied up in this novel – nothing that is introduced is left unresolved.

Gothic Special Effects version: Thunder. Lightning. Flashes of a twisted manor house in a storm. Ghostly laughter. Fade to black.



Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you are a Beauty & the Beast fan, this book is right up your alley. Rebecca, like Belle, is brave enough to confront the "monster" that the Duke is believed to be, and learns his secret. The author brings some interesting twists to the plot, and the characters are refreshing. Recommend.
I provided an honest review in exchange for a free advance reader's copy.

I'm feeling a little ambivalent about this book. Goodger is a good writer, and the story is one that moves along at a fast clip. However, I feel in the modern era that the contrivance of having the hero fall in lust based a painting of the woman--he had never met her--when the man holds all the power--he is a duke--is antiquated. I much prefer it when the heroine of a historical romance knows her potential suitor in advance and has at least some say in the marriage.

That being said, Rebecca is a strong heroine who has the tendency to make the best of marrying a man she has never met by proxy. A heroine can make or break a romance for me, and Rebecca's optimism made for a delightful character. And, frankly, the hero Oliver is pretty decent as well. He has just enough brooding and angst over his differences, which I won't spoil here, to make his characterization interesting. Together, they were a lovely couple, but as I said, it is the plot contrivance of how they end up together that I found obsolete. Also, Goodger really wraps up one conflict rather early and introduces us to a new one, which didn't really feed the romance well.

Overall, I liked the characters and the romance, but some of the plot is problematic.

THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS by Jane Goodger is a wonderfully compassionate story of a man who believes himself to be a monster and a woman who proves he is not.

Oliver, Duke of Kendal, has lived the life of a recluse with only his guardian, Mr. Winters, as a companion. He longs for something more in his life and when he adds a lovely painting to his collection, he falls in love with the woman in it, identified only as a “St. Ives Girl.” He begs Mr. Winter to go to St. Ives, find the girl, and marry her by proxy to be his duchess.

Rebecca, the girl in the painting, agrees to this unusual arrangement only because her father is deeply in debt due to gambling. Mr. Winter offers that in return for Rebecca’s marriage to the duke, all the debts will be paid. So begins her journey from Cornwall to northern England to become a reluctant duchess.

The stories that swirl about the duke are terrifying, but Rebecca cannot give credence to them once she comes to know Oliver in the dark he demands. She is able to discover the supposed affliction of her husband and works to dispel the rumors and fabrications that have haunted him. Her kindness and empathy provide a new life for Oliver, but whispers and taunts continue from an unknown source.

As an RN, I was impressed with the realism of the writing regarding Oliver’s affliction. As a woman, I was taken in by the love Rebecca and Oliver developed and shared. THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS was a lovely romance with a bit of Gothic mystery added in. I enjoyed it very much and appreciate the free pre-release copy provided to me by NetGalley.

When I first started reading this book, I thought it was more a fairytale like Beauty and the Beast. When Oliver's affliction is finally relieved, I was surprised and delighted by Rebecca's reaction. Poor Oliver, orphaned at a young age and raised by a distant cousin, he had no idea the depths that Mr. Winters would go to to retain control of both Oliver and the ducal properties. Oliver thought himself a monster and never thought to question Mr. Winters about it. Marrying Rebecca was the best thing for Oliver and as she helped him understand his affliction and begin to assert his own voice.

There are quite a few twists and turns in the story that kept me reading until the end. Ms. Goodger weaves a compelling story of loss, betrayal and finally love before Oliver and Rebecca find their happily ever after.

This is Oliver Sterling, Duke of Kendal and Rebecca Kane’s story; book 4 in The Brides of St. Ives Series. This is a standalone, happily ever after, no cheating, historical romance with some sizzle.
I love fairy tales and Beauty and the Beast has always been one of my favorites; the storyline put me in mind of Beauty and the Beast, so, I immediately requested this book to review. Even though it wasn’t quite a beauty/beast story (maybe a little), I still enjoyed the book.
The story is quirky, fanciful, with a little bit of an old Gothic feel, with a worthy villain and a great hero and heroine. There are lots of twists and turns on their journey to forever. This is more of a 3.5 rounded up to a 4.
I received a copy of this story through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Wonderful book!!! One of the best books I have read lately!!! Unusual hero !!! Love the characters, the plot!!

Orphaned young, Oliver Sterling, eleventh duke of Kendal, lives in seclusion in his massive home, Horncliffe Manor. Convinced since childhood that he is monstrous, his only company is his guardian, Mr. Winters—a man who perpetuates Oliver’s self-loathing. Still, Oliver is only human. One day, he sees a beautiful young woman in a painting titled “St. Ives Girl.” Captivated, he asks Mr. Winters to find her, marry her by proxy, and bring her back as his bride . . .

Rebecca Kane is shocked that her squire father has agreed to marry her off to a duke in exchange for payment of his gambling debts. But with no option, she submits. Rebecca fears this husband she has never seen in the light of day—yet in the marriage bed, her husband is kind and gentle. And though they remain in darkness, she detects nothing odd about him. She wonders what he is hiding and soon finds there are more mysteries to uncover—about the unsettling noises coming from deep within the manor, about Mr. Winters, and about love—of oneself and one’s beloved . . .

This is only the second book I have read by this author. I was immediately drawn in.
What is the Duke's horrible affliction that causes his pain and makes him hide from the world?
Will his bride be abhorrent of him? If she is understanding will she come to love him in spite of his affliction?
There are mysteries abound in this book and most are perpetuated by Mr. Winters. Without this horribly controlling man Oliver's life could have been so different.
I gave this book 4 of 5 stars for storyline snd characterization.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

So glad I got to read this book. The premise starts as a beauty and the beast, which is my favorite. Rebecca and Oliver have such chemistry together. I just loved them together.

A charming thrilling read.

Absolutely loved this book. The romance was well paced and the mystery that surrounds them was amazingly well told. I was hooked throughout and am now checking out the previous books in the series.

Unusual story about a duke that is different. Told in a sympathetic way whilst still full of romance and heat. Really enjoyed it. Will definately be reading more from this author.

I quite enjoyed this little romp down romance lane! I grew to love the interaction between both the hero and his lady. The story had all the elements needed in a good romance novel …, romance, humor and to tie it all together...a little bit of suspense that will keep you glued to your book! Without giving away the plot, I do wish the author had answered my one burning question in her Epilogue! Once you have read the book, you will know what I am talking about!. I enjoyed Ms Goodger’s style of writing …there was a nice flow to her words. I would definitely look for more of her work in the future..

I I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of this novel.