This is my first Vanessa Riley book and this book focuses on Patience (a brave woman) with a cute baby who has a Duke fall for her . It was a story about loss (patience lost her husband and her baby) and happy endings. Such a lovely book to enjoy on a cold winter day

"A Duke, the Lady, and the Baby" by Vanessa Riley was a welcomed mix of love, passion, mystery, and a strong lead female character. I found the novel intriguing and enjoyable. Historical Romance is a tough genre to write about without graphic relations, so I was pleasantly surprised that this novel kept the interludes simple. Patience Jordan, a Demerara heiress married Colin Jordan. The two shared a strained marriage with regular months of separation and a son, Lionel.
Patience lost her husband, her son, and her home within months. Mr. Markham had a cantankerous business relationship with Colin and took over Patience's home and son when Colin died. Locked away in the women's asylum Patience finds friendship and comfort in Jemina, another woman locked away in the Bedlam Asylum. But, Widow's Grace comes and offers support and connections to women in need.
One late evening, Patience masquerades as a man in order to sneak into Hamlin Hall to nurse her infant son. Upon sneaking out she bumps into the Duke of Repington, he lost his leg in the war and is uses Patience to help him up the stairs. The Duke is taking control of the Hamlin Hall in order to care for his nephew, Lionel his cousin's son. With the Widow's Grace support Patience is employed at Hamlin Hall as her son's nursemaid/nanny along with her friend, Jemina. The two ladies work alongside each other and search for Patience's documents that prove who she is and her trust fund.
The Duke and Patience find the banter and the attraction difficult to avoid in the day to day living together. With the tension growing and the desperate need to locate the proof that Patience needs to clear her name and claim her son will she find it in time? Mr. Markham is out causing rifts and negative claims about the Duke's ability to care for the young Lionel. If Mr. Markham has his way he will claim the young heir and Hamlin Hall, but at what cost? Will Patience find her proof and allow herself to experience the love she so desperately longs for?
I enjoyed this book, it was filled with historical events and nods to actual historical locations. The writing did have a few terms that referenced the historical time and the sarcastic banter between Patience and the Duke was amusing. As headstrong and stubborn at times they both found themselves urging the other to conform to their wishes. This is the first book in this series and I will continue to look forward to the next addition.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for the chance to read it first.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read A Duke, A Lady, and A Baby early in exchange for an honest review! I hate to say this about any book because the reality is that authors do what I never can, but I wanted to like this more than I actually did. The book felt heavier in tone than is usual for historical romances, with little humor to lighten the storyline. I enjoyed the scenes with Lionel and the Duke the most, but found the style of storytelling to be sometimes hard to follow, which made the overall story feel disconnected and rushed. This may be due to the number of different issues and themes the author tried to tackle in one book - there were so many different things going on all at once, it created too many conflicts and points of focus for each one to be well-developed. I found myself more interested in the backgrounds and storylines of secondary characters than the primary ones, and now I want to know where things go with Gantry and Mrs. St Maur (separate storylines)! I appreciated the author taking on a subject that is generally ignored is historical romances, that of race and related social stigmas, and wanted to know more of the actual history after finishing the book. I’d be curious to read more of the author’s work, but this one didn’t quite do it for me.

Funny and something totally unexpected. A easy and fun read for any reader.I wanted more depth and more sparks between the two love interests. But I did enjoy that one of the most important love stories is between the duke and the baby.

This book has about the fiercest first chapter I've ever read in a romance. Although this book is looking like it's getting the romcom marketing treatment (and those silhouetted characters on the cover not showing that this romance has an Afro-Caribbean woman as the main character!), this is a book for fans of historicals like Alyssa Cole and Beverly Jenkins. Ones very informed by history, ones invested in un-erasing Black and mixed race people from historical narratives.

I'm very glad this book used external tension (e.g. a baddie!) to drive the story; I think it works well. I think the people who will give this book five stars are the ones who respond to protective motherly instincts and men being cute and dopey around babies. Neither of those features do anything for me personally, but I can appreciate them well enough.

As a side note, I often find recipes very corny in books, but I'm super glad for the recipe in this one! I 100% plan on making it.

***Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.***

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a historical fiction novel that was very interesting in terms of the dialogue and concept. I felt that the dialogue at times was out of historical context. The concept of a wounded soldier, a grieving widow, and a baby stirred into a plot worked overall. The author brought in social injustice based on gender and race for the widow and soldier. I kept feeling like I had missed part of the story with the windows Grace and how it started, operated and was led. Romance did not have sexual scenes and I appreciate that. Overall an ok read for me.

A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby
Series: Book 1 in the Rogues and Remarkable Women series
Rating: 3
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

This was an okay read for me. As I was reading it I really didn't get that much into the story. I really didn't care for the MCs love story, which I feel that it really wasn't the main focus of the story. It was mostly about Patience trying to find out about her husband's illegal dealings and avoiding the villain of the story. Also, she had to deal with the guilt of her husband's passing. Though she does get peace of mind when she finds out the truth of how he died. She was a strong character that didn't let herself get bullied by the duke and that was one of the things that he liked about her.
Busick was dealing with the after effects of going to war. He was physically very damaged, but I liked how he didn't let his disabilities hold him back. His obsession with structure and schedules were a little too much, especially when it dealt with Patience's baby. What made up for it was how devoted he was to the baby. He immediately developed care for him. That was very sweet.
I was a little confused with the point of views of the story. Her's was told in the first POV, while his was in third person. There were times when I had to back and reread a certain part to figure out who had said it.

If you're looking for a lot of moments of laughter, a wonderful romance and a sweet baby, then look no further! When Patience is falsely imprisoned and separated from her infant son by her husband's wicked uncle she is determined to do everything in her power to win him back. When the Duke of Repington comes to claim guardianship over his cousin's son they must work together in order to care for the boy and prevent his uncle from exacting revenge.

I really enjoyed seeing the relationship develop btw Repington and Patience, there were several moments when I was laughing out loud--particularly the times when Repington attempts to put military preciseness on baby Lionel's habits XD While there were times when Patience was a little too hysterical for me in her overall tone, the determination she had to care for her son despite the odds was very admirable.

A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby by Vanessa Riley is about Patience Jordan, mistress of Hamlin Hall during Regency England, and Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington. We meet Patience at her lowest: her husband, Colin, has committed suicide, Patience was taken advantage of and thrown in Bedlam Asylum by Colin's wicked uncle, Markham. After escaping with the help of The Widow's Grace (a home run by Lady Shrewsbury who protects and strengths widows who've been disadvantaged), Patience travels back to Hamlin Hall to find her son, Lionel, who she was taken away from. Patience entire gambit is to get her son, find a ship and head back to Demerara, her home island in the West Indies. But Patience hits a roadblock when Repington shows up, takes over Hamlin Hall, kicks our Markham and makes plans to support and raise his ward, Lionel (Repington is Colin's cousin). The Widow's Grace gets Patience a job as a wet nurse and nanny to Lionel, and Patience brings her machinations into Hamlin Hall, becoming friends with Repington and growing to love him. But, there is a giant mystery surrounding Colin's death, his finances, and his seedy doings with Markham.

I struggled rating this book because some parts I really loved! Patience especially - her love of Lionel, her strength and how she learns to think and do for herself. She was wonderful to read. I also loved that this is a woman of color, black woman, biracial woman leading a Regency HR novel. This is rare y'all and not rare in history. Riley really dove into the experiences of mulattos and Blackamoor's during this time - the amount of racism, the subtle and not so subtle microaggressions and racial violence that Patience experienced it real. And rarely something read about in romance novels. Lastly, I loved the West Indian cultural aspects, the Caribbean history/religion highlighted, and the food (read until the end for a special surprise!).

I wanted more from the passion between Patience and Repington - it definitely felt like a slow burn which I liked, but I didn't always feel their passion. Plus I like a little more sex in my romance. I wanted Repington to be SWOONIER - I wanted to just melt. And I got some melty parts in the early slow burn, and when we was holding and talking to Lionel, but I wanted more.

With that being said, I will definitely be reading future books in the series: I need to know about Gantry's WIFE (where she at?!), I need to know about Jemima and her life (what is she not remembering?!). So many exciting things on the horizon.

*Posted on Goodreads. Will share on IG closer to pub date*

The story was fun, but I really did't like the writing style. I restarted it three times before getting past the second chapter because it was off-putting.

Touching story about two hurting people coming together to make a family. Full of rich historical details, believable characters with struggles and growth, and a satisfying romance. I was a little thrown by the alternative 1st and 3rd person narratives, but not so much that it harmed the story. I'm hoping we will get to see side characters Jemina, Thackery, and Gantry in future books.

I really like this book... it was an interesting read

A lot happened and I never felt bored reading this...
the story is well written and cleverly done

This was a good book! It took me until about halfway through to reall get into it. The lady (Patience) and the Duke (Busick) had great chemistry but a lot of mistrust. I was, of course, a sucker for the Duke's affection for the BABY. What a cute character.

Patience, a widow with brown skin in the 1800s must do all that she can to protect her baby Lionel after the death of her husband, even if it means deceiving the Duke of Repington...

A Duke, The Lady and A Baby is the story of Patience Jordan - a recent addition to the Widow's Grace. Her husband, Colin Jordan, has recently passed away and she is left to fend for her baby against Markham, a scheming man. She then meets Busick, the Duke of Repington (and Colin's cousin) and Patience's life heels from a quiet existence to one where she must do all she can to keep her baby, Lionel.

The story mostly centres around Patience and her endeavors to keep her son. Patience is a daring woman and she fights for Lionel like a knight:
"Each time I picked up my son, felt his skin next to mine, I became a revolutionary. For him, his life, his liberty, I charged forward"

Her audacious personality is infectious and you route for her throughout the story. The novel begins by placing her in a 'Damsel in Distress' trope which she manages to break out of in a way that doesn't rob the story of romance or excitement.

The novel is set in Georgian England and I absolutely enjoyed reading about the scene, the social dynamics between men and women, people of colour and those with disabilities were touched on without feeling like a history lesson, but a part of the world you are visiting.

Patience's antics and the first few awkward moments with Busick had me smiling at times. Even though the story touched on sullen themes, it did it in a way that doesn't linger with much weight (which isn't a bad thing, sometimes you just need a light read, you know?):
"... humor is the best way to deal with troubled hearts"

I did, however, find Patience's first interaction with the Duke to be an overstated attempt at an awkward first impression.

This was my first book by Vanessa Riley. I loved the premise and the cover really grabbed my attention. I also thought the baby trope was very well done. I just didn't overall love the book. It could be that I have read so many fantastic books in the last few weeks that this one just didn't stand out. I will definitely check out more by this author.

This book felt like a chore to get through. For the first 50=60 pages I was so confused, I didn't really know what was happening or why I should care. The language and sentences didn't have much flow, the dialogue seemed choppy and even one sentence to the next would leave me confused about what was happening, where people were etc. When I finally understood a little more about the characters and the premise the book was still just ok. I didn't really feel the connection between the main characters other then the baby. I will say this book was probably more realistic with regards to the way women were treated in the 1800s in England, but I would rather live in the fantasy romance.

At first, the title makes you think of something you'd find for $4 at the Walmart book section.
However, I really enjoyed the premise.
*thanks to Netgalley for approving the arc
The book captures you from page one, and I loved that about this book. The main character shows charisma, bravery and perseverance right off the bat.
It was such a fun read, I can't wait to see what more Vanessa Riley is capable of!

*Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing a free ARC for an honest review*

I was first drawn to this book by the fun cover and my love of historical romance. A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby is the story of Patience Jordan, a widow going through a harrowing ordeal in order to protect her infant son. In the meantime, the Duke of Repington comes into the picture, but she isn't sure if she can trust him with the truth.

I did appreciate that this book included a wide arrange of representation that you would not often find in a historical romance, including POC female lead, a handicapped hero and discussions of mental health. For me personally, this was the first novel that I have read that discussed breast feeding and the effects on a women's body in such detail.

I however, did not enjoy as much as I hoped to. I found myself on more than one occasion getting angry with either MC's for making rash decisions. At one point my husband had to come into the room to check on me as I was yelling at my EReader. My favorite part of the book was shortly after that moment, but my enjoyment did not last long as I was not as satisfied with the conclusion as I had hoped I might be.

I would also like to note that this was a pure romance, with very little to no steam. (I am not holding this against the book, but in case anyone else was wondering)

Based on the cover, this wasn’t really what I was expecting. I was expecting a cute fluffy romance and this really wasn’t. There were some heavy topics covered in this. It wasn’t your typical romance. Maybe if I had different expectations going into this, I would have appreciated it more. It was just a darker read with babies getting taken away, false imprisonment, etc. I appreciate the copy to read and review.

I wanted to love this book so much but somehow I couldn’t get close to any of the characters and I think, because I don’t like children in my books , this one was a miss for me unfortunately.
Yes, I love the cover and the blurb and title mention a child but I’m always taking chances to find a great story regardless.
It’s still a great book that many people will enjoy but not for me.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy