This book was exceptional. Historical Romances aren't my go-to genre. I prefer contemporary but was I'd been rather critical of contemporary romances lately. A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby gave me a little bit of everything that I hadn't known I was missing. This was a well-written romance of a widow, trying to ensure a safe and comfortable future for herself and her young son. With every step she took to ensure her son's safety, it seemed like the stakes were higher. There was a bit of suspense and flirtation and intrigue. I could not put this book down. With each waking second, I had to know how Patience would get herself out of trouble. This book is even more special because Patience is Afro-Caribbean which is my ethnicity. I finally found a book with a heroine that I could relate to and looked like.

I can't recommend this romance enough. I'd like to thank the publisher, author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read by Vanessa. It took me a bit to get into the book but at about 1/3 of the way in I got taken in and hoped for a HEA for the hero and heroine. It was a great story of a Duke/wartime hero hiding secrets and a woman of color who is strong and willing to stand at his side. I loved this story of two people hiding secrets but growing to love and respect each other for what they could bring to the other. To see a man willing and loving a child not his own wholeheartedly brought tears and smiles.

I thought I would enjoy this more than I did, though I was probably distracted by that cover! I enjoyed the representation in the novel - a disabled hero, a West Indian heroine - but the execution didn't work for me. I found the narration to be somewhat confusing and the context to be unclear. I wasn't a fan of the POV going from first-person when it was a Patience chapter, then third-person when it was the Duke's.

3.5 Stars

Riley crafts a suspenseful and inspiring romance with this first in a new series.

I’ve read Riley books before. Her Advertisements for Love series was absolutely stunning in characters and plot so I had to read this latest story when I saw the cover.

The Widow’s Grace, an organization that helps women who have been stripped of their children or their lives, is Patience Jordan’s only hope. She’s lost everything: her husband, her home, and her child. Thrown into bedlam, she’s rescued by the organization only to begin the tricky navigation of reclaiming what belongs to her and it starts by pretending to be her child’s nanny.

Enter Busick, the Duke of Repington, a leader in Wellingtons army on leave to convalesce from injuries sustained on the battlefield. His ward is the nephew of his recently deceased cousin and he’ll do anything to raise the boy right at his grandfather’s home, Hamlin. Except he doesn’t expect Mrs. Jordan, his cousin’s widow, nor does he plan to become enamored of her long before he discovers her identity.

Characterization is something Riley does with masterful success, from Patience’s impatience and her fierce bravery to Repington’s desperate need to stay in control of his life as well as his body, there is a quick connection to each of the main protagonists. Additionally, Riley is always good at writing a villain, especially when there are too real examples roaming around the world today.

I also enjoyed the historical elements that got me googling about Demerara, curses to the history books for not even speaking of this place and how influential it was to colonizers due to it’s sugarcane. There are a ton of additional historical elements weaved in and as a history lover that helped hook me. The icing on the cake is Riley’s way with words, they flow and have this lovely cadence to them. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the dialogue and internal descriptions.

There were a few things that annoyed me, these included the jump from point of view. First person for the heroine and third person for the hero constantly threw me a bit. I even went back and looked to see if I was going crazy that we were bouncing between the too. Looking back I think the idea was to give Patience more agency, but it jarred me. Another thing that ticked me off was the quick dismissal of the ghost. Yes, there is this little subplot and throughout the story several women mention seeing ghosts at some point and the men just dismiss it and act like the women are hysterical. Cue my internal urge to smack some men. Similar things go on with items missing, objects being tampered with and everyone telling Patience to just be at ease and calm. Let me throw things, please. I get this was the mentality of the time *coughs* but it was super annoying.

Overall, this is a great intro to a new series from Riley and I will definitely be picking up book two, which is all about Patience’s friend, Jemina. For readers who enjoy Sherry Thomas or Grace Burrowes.

~ Landra

This book took me a while to get into because the author switched from first person voice of the heroine to third person voice of the hero. It made my head spin a little to go back and forth between these two perspectives. But once I got past that and started focusing on the story, it just reeled me in. I adored Patience and Busick. Patience is strong, brave and loving and the perfect match for the strong, dependent and loving Busick. I loved his dry sense of humor and the dialogues in between Patience and him. I would highly recommend this book and I cannot wait for the next book about Jemima.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

This one got a lot of hype, and I think it's so fun that there are quite a few historical fiction books out right now - although it's not something I would normally read I was looking forward to this title from Kensington Books. Sadly, this one just didn't quite keep my attention like I thought it would - The two perspectives made it a little hard to read for me, but it was still worth reading!

I enjoyed this! I’m always looking for diverse historicals, both in terms of the characters and the settings, so it was great to see a mainstream publisher come out with a Regency historical featuring a Black heroine. Oddly enough, while the romance took a while to really take off, I was still pretty invested in Patience and her story, so I kept reading even though a lot of the focus was more on her son and trying to protect him as a single mother. I really loved what a strong character Patience was, and the society of widows is amazing! There’s so much potential as a series to explore the different widows’ struggles and their romances.

I will say, Riley made a really bold choice in when deciding to write Patience’s POV in first person and Busick’s in third. I suspect that will be a deal-breaker for a lot of people; it was definitely a bit jarring for me. I’m actually really surprised it didn’t bother me more than it did, though? I don’t want this to become common practice by any means, but it was an interesting experience. Also, this is a small thing, but there were so many references to Patience’s son Lionel as “my boy.” Enough that I noticed it and for some reason it rubbed me a bit the wrong way. At the end of the day, though, I enjoyed this, and I’m excited to read future books in the series.

3.5 stars
I did like the idea of this book, women taking situations into their own hands to correct wrongs that had been done to them. Patience and Busick both had events in the past to come to terms with, Patience, her husband’s death and Busick, his war injury. Busick liked to organise his life with a military precision but he had a caring side and showed this in his handling of his ward. Patience and Busick had an attraction to each other but could anything come of it as Patience intended to return to her island home. There is also a mystery to solve concerning her husband and his uncle. A number of issues are discussed, the prejudice towards people of a different colour and the lack of women’s rights. My main complaint that was at times it as a bit ‘wordy’ but without going anywhere in the story. Having said this, I did enjoy reading this story and I would be interested in reading Jemina’s story. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the third book that I have read from this author. All have been about women of black heritage in Regency England. They have all been sweet romances with an appropriate amount of intrigue and conflict. I enjoyed the story of Patience Jordan and the Duke of Remington but I gave it 4 stars because the writing can be difficult to follow at times.

I was very excited to read this book and was lucky to get an advanced copy from NetGalley
Historical Romance is something I enjoy and so I was happy to dive in to this book.
Starting at the cover: The colours were eye catching and it was a great choice to depict the hero's disability in the cover art.

The heroine of the book is a black West Indian woman who ends up falling for a White disabled Duke who just happens to be the guardian of her son, the child she had with her deceased husband.
I liked that the book explored race, disability issues as well as the cost of war and pain management.
I loved that there was a secret society for helping widows and that the book was centered on the experience of a West Indian woman and her struggles.

I had issues with the story itself though as it was confusing and seemed all over the place in parts.
The suspense plot and the romance plot just didn't all go together.
There was too much time devoted to the suspense and not enough nurturing the romance I believe.
They didn't have many meaningful moments/thoughts together on page or in their own heads for me to believe the romance moved at a pace to deliver the satisfying end.
There was also POV inconsistencies that made it harder for me to dive in to the story.

Overall I kinda got what the author was truing to do but it fell a bit short for me.

I’ve been a fan of Vanessa Riley’s books for ages, and this book is no exception. She writes sweet closed door romances and while I wouldn’t categorize them as inspirationals, they do have a decidedly Christian bent. I like it, and I don’t think it would be enough to dissuade a reader of a different religious persuasion from reading it, but I just wanted to put that out there.

“I’d serve this Duke of Repington to serve Lionel, but only to get my son strong enough to sail. Once I retrieved my trust documents, we’d escape England. It was time to live by my heart’s rules. That had to be the smartest thing a widow could do.”


It’s no surprise to those who know her that Patience, well, lacks patience. For good reason, too – she’s stranded in England after her husband committed suicide, and she’s been separated from her infant son by one of her husband’s cronies. Sneaking in as a footman in order to secretly feed the baby, she’s caught off-guard when Busick, the Duke of Repington, shows up and occupies her old residence with his army of wounded vets, assuming guardianship of the boy. Unsure of his motives, with the help of another widow, she contrives to be hired on as the nanny for her own child. She’s mostly biding her time until she and Lionel can flee back to her wealthy family in the West Indies, but in the meantime, what’s the harm in convincing the wounded military vet that a baby isn’t another one of his soldiers, and neither is she?

The last thing on Patience’s mind is finding another beau – in fact, for most of the book she’s focused on retrieving from the Duke’s study the papers she needs to sail back home to her wealthy family in the West Indies. She’s honest and outspoken, often to her detriment, especially when the Duke isn’t sure she’s the best person to nanny little Lionel. Patience is grieving for her husband, which is compounded by the fact that she’s convinced that it was her inability to make him happy – as his foreign and too-dark wife – that led to his death. Busick, for his part, hides his own pain by playing the consummate military man, obsessed with order, schedules, and rules. He refuses to let even his closest friends know about the severity of his wounds – while everyone knows his leg was injured in the war, he’s actually an amputee.

“Maybe it was the challenge in his voice. Maybe it was days of being forced to agree to his rules for my son. Or maybe I wanted him to notice I wasn’t a rag doll. I shouldn’t be ordered about. I wasn’t going to be put on a shelf like Colin had done. He assumed I was too delicate to be seen in Town, anywhere away from Hamlin. Lies.”


The romance between Patience and Busick is delightfully slow burn. There’s quite a bit of pining and some absolutely stellar banter, but the actual consummation only happens after they end up in a marriage of convenience. Of course, it only stays merely convenient for a short period of time, and since this is one of my favorite historical tropes, I wish this had been played up a bit more in the story. The plot overall is a bit rambling – the main non-romance is a sort-of mystery where Patience and her friend Jemina (an amnesiac widow) are trying to figure out what, exactly, the evil crony wants with baby Lionel – and there’s bits that are either never explained or were resolved too quickly for me to understand at the end of the book.

“Stay alert, but don’t let uncertainty of anything cheat you of joy. Widows have to be smarter, but we have to have peace, too.”
Peace, bravery, intellect—I was weighted down by all these things I was supposed to have.


Vanessa Riley has a distinctive writing style that always takes me a bit to get used to, but it’s perfect for this angsty and almost gothic story. As usual, she doesn’t shy away from the deep inequities faced by women, especially women of color, in regency England. I also found the portrayal of Busick and the other veterans’ injuries thoughtfully done for the most part, though I’d personally like to get an ownvoices read on that. My main criticism is the shifting POVs. Patience’s POV is in first person while Busick’s is in third person. I’ve previously read books like this and I find it absolutely confusing – especially when the POVs would shift mid-chapter. It’s a baffling choice to me and it definitely contributed to some of my confusion around the plot, especially from Busick’s POV.

Overall, despite my issues with the POV, I liked the book, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet, gothic-y romance completely with crashing chandeliers and secret passageways.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Patience Jordan has been falsely imprisoned. She has lost everything, her son, her money and any life she ever wanted for herself. Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington has moved into her house and is the guardian to her son. Patience takes a job as nanny to her own son. --Isn't this the best premise? I was so excited to receive an early copy of this book. I loved it. I loved the relationship and how it developed. I love Patience. I think she was an extremely strong woman.. especially with the rough hand she was given.

The only downside of this book was the beginning was a little bit confusing. But everything gets explained and I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Thank you netgalley for the early copy of this book!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: June 30, 2020

This was book 1 in Vanessa Riley’s new Rogues and Remarkable Women series, and it set off on a good start with a strong multicultural cast of characters. I find the first book in any series a bit vague, with a ton of character and plot introductions, and this was no different. I appreciated the inclusion of true historical facts/moments throughout this historical romance. I found myself googling locations or events throughout my reading and learned quite a bit! I’m not sure I will read any others in this series but if you are a fan of this thematic era, I think you’ll enjoy this book and the series to come!

What an absolutely lovely story and start to a series. This is a dual POV story, with Patience's voice in first person and Busick's in third person. Patience is a mother who was released from Bedlam, where she was wrongfully sent, with the help of The Widow's Grace. She was sent by her late husband's associate, who now - also wrongfully - has custody of her infant son, Lionel. However, Busick, the Duke of Repington, is the rightful legal guardian in the case that Patience is unable to be the guardian. Busick has been told that Patience ran away, so he assumes that's the case. He takes command and the care of Lionel seriously, hiring Patience on as a nanny, believing her to be a widow unrelated to Lionel, one who lost her baby. While in the house, Patience does her research to figure out what her husband's associate wanted with Lionel, and what the circumstances of her husband's death, an apparent suicide which she blames herself for, really were. Of course, Busick and Patience are attracted to one another and fall for one another while co-parenting Lionel.

I really enjoyed the cast of characters, including the side characters who I assume will be the heroes and heroines of later books. The diversity in this book is wonderful and representative of what the time period was really like. Patience is a woman of color, from Demarara, a country in what was called the West Indies. Busick is a disabled war veteran. He has a prosthetic leg, and has been hiding this from his soldiers, friends, and family. Patience is a loving mother and friend with a big heart. She can see the good in anyone. Busick, if we were to draft up his birth chart, probably has entirely Virgo and Capricorn placements. He's very regimented and bossy, but Patience does not take his crap, and he appreciates that. They really are a wonderful couple, and the slow burn between them throughout the book, culminating in some passionate kisses and a fade away love scene, was so tantalizing. Their love for Lionel is a highlight of the book, with Busick taking on a very active role as a parent, even though he initially has Patience as an employee for doing just that. Lionel, though a baby, is also a character. This book is one of those cases were the child character does not feel like a prop, even though he doesn't have any lines!

The plot was a little slow-developing at times, but overall this was just such a lovely read, a very solid 4 stars. I'm excited for the rest of the series! Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Zebra Books for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was an unusual and intriguing historical romance. Here are some of the things that caught my attention:
- POV : alternating, first person for heroine, third person for hero
- tone ; seemed almost Gothic at times, light-hearted at other times
- dialogue: seemed almost blunt at times, not usual in a Regency, but perhaps because of heroine's origins
- description: not a lot of description of setting, etc.
All of this does NOT mean that I disliked the book. It was just different. Patience Gordon was an admirable heroine -- tough with a great spirit. Busick Strathmore was blustery, but inherently loving, and very likeable. I loved how their relationship built. The plot included intrigue and secrets that slowly were revealed. I really liked the secondary characters and how to see more of them in the coming installments of this new series. Overall, I really enjoyed the story.

I received and ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. This book starts off fast! The first chapter you are in the mind of the heroine, Patience and the panic she is feeling. I love that it jumps right in. There are point of view changes but it did not change my enjoyment of the story. The chapters that focus on Patience are in first person while the rest are in third person. I actually liked that in some chapters you get an overall view of what’s going on and that in others you get what Patience is feeling. Since most of the story revolves around Patience, I liked getting her thoughts most of the time. While the steam is very low, I could still feel the attraction and affection between Patience and Busick. 4/5 stars.

The culture… I love the mentions of Demerara, coconut bread and West Indian magic. How she drops bits of how the ton perceives Patience and how her husband hide her away is interwoven throughout the story realistically. I got what Riley was putting down.

The point of view was super confusing in the beginning but please stay with it. I truly think it is worth holding on and I plan on reading more books in the series. I can already see the potential set up for two heroines and that is not including the head of the widows herself.

I was here for this story. I know this was a historical romance but it read more like a light mystery for me and that might be why I enjoyed it so much. The hero Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington was a likable guy, intelligent, confident, a realistic man with faults. I was extremely happy he lacked the me see Jane, me take Jane mentality that can plague some historicals, alpha heroes period.

Although Repington was likable this is a book you read for the heroine. She was different. I never once thought a mother would not do that for her child. She put on pants, did what she needed to do. She had her faults and let grief and fear drive her to do some things! But okay, that is what you are supposed to do.

I will be trying to make the coconut bread recipe she included in the book. No promises on my success. Patty La belle does not live here.

Riley has a historical fiction book Island Queen expected to release Summer 2021

Elegant writing, witty interaction, strong lead characters who've endured much!

Wow! I just loved this Regency romance! Sterling storyline, with mysterious and humorous twists. Scenes with Busick Strathmore, the Duke of Repington relating with baby Lionel were a joy with real endearing moments. In fact, for me, those scenes almost stole the show.
Widowed West Indian heiress Patience Jordan's ducal husband has committed suicide, her newborn son Lionel has been whisked away by her husband's guardian, the odious Markham, and Markham had Patience committed to Bedlam. With the help of a secret organization, The Widow's Grace, Patience escapes. The Widow's Grace is a 'secret society of avengers, women of all sizes, all shape,' looking to help mistreated women.
We first meet Patience when she's disguised herself as a footman and stolen back into Hamlin Hall just to see her darling baby boy. Unfortunately, at that very moment Busick Strathmore, her husband's cousin, the Duke of Repington, and Lionel's real guardian arrives at the Hall. Patience has to think quickly, and not loose her nerve to survive this moment without exposure. Patience and Busick's first meeting is so farcical as to be heartily funny. I loved it. This was my other 'almost stole the show' moment.
A bit of trickery played by Lady Shrewsbury, leader of the Widow's Grace, and Patience is inserted back into the Hall as the wet nurse and nanny for Lionel.
Busick is wonderful. He brings his own troopers, mostly injured and disabled men from Napoleonic battles, to assist him in keeping Lionel and the property safe. He falls in love with young Lionel and plans the baby's regime with military finesse, expecting baby and the nanny/wet nurse to fall in line. That's his second mistake! So? The next might just be his growing attachment to the nanny!
Bubbling underneath the storyline are issues relating to this historical period. Through the medium of story Riley is 'showcasing a sliver of the diversity of the Regency, the treatment of the disabled, and the power structure afforded women.' The Widow's Grace society shines a light on these issues for us as readers, and just maybe a few characters in the series become more enlightened as time goes by.
As Riley's explains in her very informative author's note, the series is
'about women taking control of their destinies and the men who love and support them, and how united they make their worlds better by partnering in grace and joy.'

A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Patience and Busick's love story is about two characters who have admirable characteristics. I enjoyed Patience's dedication and loyalty. Busick was the soldier who accomplishes the impossible with all odds against him. I hope to read more about the Widow's Grace, a fantastic concept, in subsequent books.

I was provided with an advance reader copy through NetGalley. This review is voluntarily given and the opinions are my own.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. A Duke, The Lady, and A Baby is the first book in Vanessa Riley’s delightful new Rogues and Remarkable Women series. Patience Jordan a West Indian Heiress lost everything when her husband died, his nasty uncle arrived took control of her household and had her falsely imprisoned in Bedlam away from her infant son. Freed from bedlam by a group of widows, she has been dressing as a man and sneaking into the house in order to nurse her son at night. Leaving the house one night she is discovered by Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington who is her son’s legal guardian, who has arrived with a band of soldiers to toss the nasty uncle from the house. Desperate to stay close to her son she gets hired on as a wet-nurse and must hide her true identity from the Duke. With a good combination of humour and angst, a grumpy hero, daring heroine, strong supporting characters, and an evil villain this was a very enjoyable story to read. I found the first chapter a bit confusing as it’s in first person and she’s in full panic mode, with her thoughts dashing here and there, but keep reading because you won’t want to miss the delightful banter between these two and the very satisfying HEA. Light Steam. Publishing Date June 30, 2020. #ADukeTheLadyAndABaby #VanessaRiley #KensingtonBooks #ZebraRomanceNovels #NetGalley #HistoricalRomance #bookstagram #MarriageOfConvenience