Now, when I started A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby I was a bit nonplussed as to how Patience could get hired as her own child’s nanny/wet nurse without getting outed by the servants – unless the servants were in on it. But, fear not, the problem is easily solved in the first few chapters. Onward.

I’ll go with 3.5 stars out of 5. I liked the story of Patience and Busick and will she be able to get her baby back (plus bag a duke in the process, heyo, it’s a romance novel of course). There was a good mystery plot with excellent tension, although I’m still a little hazy about how the whole finance plot worked but that’s pretty minor. I really liked the historical detail Riley put into Patience’s backstory both as a woman color in pasty, imperial England and her plight as a widow who does not have guardianship of her own child and how this leaves her very, very little (extremely little) legal recourse to baby Lionel. Busick is also a character we rarely see in romance fiction – a hero who has lost a limb in wartime. It affects how he’s treated by others despite his rank as a duke. The romance plot itself is pretty low steam but it’s not chaste. There is definitely kissing and a small number of boob jokes (they’re kind of hilariously bad). I’m looking forward to future books in this series because this was fun.

What kept pulling me out was a structural thing. Patience’s perspective is in first-person while Busick’s perspective is in close third. Switching back and forth like that drives me batty. It just gets in the way of the story. Ymmv, of course.

There is a whole lot going on in this book.

At times, the circumstances seem beyond a bit far fetched.
So here are my thoughts. I like Vanessa Riley.
I was super excited that she had a West Indian heiress for the female lead.
What I wasn't so thrilled about?
No man is honorable when he's a rake and Busick is much touted for being a rake.
Patience was so newly widowed and still breast feeding., the timing just felt way off.
There's maybe too much going on, if that's possible.

I found this book fun, if not a little difficult, to read, and it had a very interesting plot. Patience has a very strong motivation and never strayed. Busick felt the same way, and I enjoyed the romance between the two quite a bit. I loved how kind and sweet the Duke was. I enjoyed the representation the pair brought to the story in terms of race and disability during the time period. The discussions of gender were also really well done, but some of these discussions seemed to overwhelm the romance and plot.

I think the banter between the two characters was really fun, and I enjoyed the scenes where they interacted, especially with Lionel. The main problems I have is that some of the writing was a bit confusing, and the plot was muddled at points. I wanted more action, but also more time spent with the side characters. The secret society of widows was not played up enough for me and became a bit of a back burner topic. I wanted to see more of the intrigue and investigation into what happened to Patience's husband and herself.

Overall, I believe this was a very unique story, but it was a little lackluster in the execution. I do want to continue the series and see how the writing and plots progress because this book had very good bones.

This is the first book (at least I think so) I have read by this author.

The plot was not was I was expecting- don't be fooled by the cutesy cover because it doesn't really fit-but that's a good thing. There are some themes here (race /sexual inequalities) explored and written in a thoughtful way.

Although I didn't care for the mixed POV story telling because IMO mixed POV's in romances don't work so well, I really really liked Patience so maybe that was a win.I also enjoyed the snark between Patience and Busick, but sometimes some of the terms and language seemed a bit...silly? Off?

I give it 3.5 hearts (out of 5).

Patience Jordan is a West Indies heiress, newly widowed, and trying to reclaim custody of her infant son. The Duke is her deceased husband’s cousin, he’s recovering from a battle injury and is the baby’s guardian. The two begin to work together for baby Lionel’s sake and unsurprisingly deeper feelings develop. The narrative switches back and forth from first person for Patience, to third person for the Duke. It’s not hard to follow, but it might have been more effective if the Duke’s chapters were told in first person as well. I had a hard time understanding Patience. Sometimes she wanted to flee, sometimes she wanted to stay. It was all very dramatic. There was a problem/mystery to be solved, though we know early on the identity of the villain. The resolution was a bit unexpected.
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 stars

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ebook for review.

I wish I enjoyed this more. There was so much promise, and so many great things wanting to be addressed: Military and injury, foreign wives in the upper class, the agency of women in the early 1800s, and more. But in the end, I missed a bit of spark between them. There was some clashing, some babycaring, but I needed more to fully believe in them as a couple, and to see that developing. The history of the dead husband also dragged, never fully elaborating how we should feel about him, and the mystery was more confusion than something one ached to explore.

I was really looking forward to this book because I love regency romances with dukes and independent female main characters. While there was a lot I liked about this book, overall, I just didn't love it. I liked Patience's story of losing her child to her late husband's uncle and then doing what she could to get her son back. I also liked the Duke of Repington's path from decorated soldier to dealing with a war injury while being in charge of a baby. Both characters were interesting and were each dealing with a variety of issues in their lives. I enjoyed getting to know the other characters as well.

However, the love story between Patience and Busick didn't quite feel organic. It was almost as if the reader missed something in the story. Each character would do or say something to show how he/she felt but then they would regress to acting like an employer and employee. It didn't feel like a natural transition to being in love with one another. Compared to other regency romances, I felt as if this was lacking some emotion. It is an interesting story and getting to know the characters was enjoyable. It's good for anyone looking for those two things without any strong feelings or intense action.

Plot Synopsis:
When Patience Jordan's husband died by suicide, his uncle had her committed to Bedlam, took over the estate and became guardian to their son. Patience will do whatever it takes to save her child. Her late husband's cousin, Duke of Repington, Busick Strathmore, steps in to fix things. He will take care of his new ward as if he were his own. Patience starts working for him as a nanny as a way to be closer to his son until she can regain custody of her child.

Busick is a military hero and is used to people obeying his orders. Yet, he is drawn to Patience even as she refuses to listen to him. They grow closer as they care for baby Lionel. However, her late husband's uncle hasn't given up yet. He continues to be a threat to all three of them. Can the duke protect both Lionel and Patience while protecting his own heart? Or is this the chance to find happiness in his life that he never thought he would find?

A great new series by Vanessa Riley. After her husband commits suicide, Patience Jordan get's locked up by her husband's cousin. After getting free, she receives help from The Widow's Grace, a regency organization that aids widows, to get her newborn son back. Her son is in the care of another cousin, Busick Strathrom, The Duke of Remington, who will do anything to make sure the young man is safe, even his own mother, if she appears dangerous. Using disguises and going undercover, Patience pretends to be a nanny in order to look out for her son, as well as find the documents that prove that she is mentally fit to raise her son.

The banter between the two main characters was cute. I enjoyed the story as well as the flow of the entire book. and the interactions with baby Lionel was my favorite part I definitely will be reading more books from this author.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

So, A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby walk into a bar… (I couldn’t resist opening with a classic bar joke.)

A Duke, the Lady, and A Baby, the first novel in Vanessa Riley’s Rogues and Remarkable Women series of Regency romances, is a one-stop reading experience. It delivers extraordinary storytelling with pleasing amounts of passionate kisses, winsome characters, mystery and intrigue, humor, and coconut bread (yes, a recipe is included).

Review posted to All About Romance via https://allaboutromance.com/book-review/a-duke-the-lady-and-a-baby-by-vanessa-riley/.

3.5 stars

While dealing with grief at losing her mother, Patience falls quickly for Colin Jordan, and leaves her home in Demerara to travel to England as his wife. Patience is a biracial woman, and Colin keeps her at his country home, Hamlin House, supposedly to protect her from hateful gossip and comments that she’d surely have to endure if she accompanied him on his many trips to London. After four years of marriage, and having just given birth to a son, Patience learns that Colin is dead. As if the trauma of giving birth and losing her husband aren’t enough, Colin’s Uncle Markham has now taken over the home. He ruthlessly separates Patience from her son, Lionel, and has her sent away. Thankfully, the organization called Widow’s Grace manages to free Patience, and she finds the way to sneak into the house to feed and visit her son. Patience has to find a way to search Hamlin House for her financial records, and then steal away with her son and head back to her father and home. Then Lionel’s legal guardian appears, and everything changes.

Busick Strathmore is the Duke of Repington, as well as a recovering officer who has been seriously wounded in service to his country. When Busick learns of the death of his cousin, Colin, and that he has been named guardian to his newborn son, he immediately heads to Hamlin House with a small contingent of his men. He forcibly ejects Markham from the premises, and seeks out his young ward. Busick had been told that Patience ran away, so he knows that he needs to find a nurse for the baby. Widow’s Grace was actually responsible for summoning Busick, and now they install Patience as nurse and nanny for Lionel. Patience is cautioned not to reveal her identity until they learn what Busick’s intentions are. Patience may be Lionel’s mother, but she is only a woman, and Busick has legal authority.

Busick is a battle hardened soldier, accustomed to commanding men. Yet, he turns to mush when around his young cousin. He is constantly holding him, talking to him, singing to him, and telling him how he will be cared for and protected. At the same time, he’s suspicious of Patience, wondering if she may secretly be in league with Markham. Patience has to follow his orders pertaining to how she cares for her own child, and act as a servant in the house she should be mistress of. Though wary and not fully trusting each other, Patience and Busick do have an underlying awareness and attraction. While Busick has had a somewhat rakish past, he draws the line at importuning his servants.

A DUKE, THE LADY, AND A BABY is my first book by Vanessa Riley, and it has a lot going on beside the burgeoning romance between Patience and Busick. There is the prejudice that Patience had to face for the color of her skin, and the precarious situation she was in just because she’s a woman and subject to men’s rule. To offset that, Widow’s Grace showed how the sisterhood of women can band together and help each other through the most difficult of circumstances. The villain of the story is truly despicable, and I am genuinely pleased at his receiving what he deserved. I found the writing to be very good, but the viewpoints often changed, and several times I had to re-read passages to determine who was speaking. The romance itself felt mild to me, rather than a strong earth shattering love, it seemed truly more like an affectionate convenience. I did love both lead characters. Patience was resolute, determined, and strong in the face of all she had endured. Busick tried to hide his own very serious injuries and pain, while protecting those in his household. Though he declared himself a stickler for rules and schedules, he has a heart of pure gold. I love his strength and honor, and his interaction with Lionel is heartwarming. I’d recommend this book for readers who enjoy a romance moving at a slower pace, but with strong lead characters. Oh, and I absolutely adored that baby!

*I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley and the publishers.*

When I saw the description of this book, I immediately wanted to read it! As a Trinidadian, I didn't know there were historical romance books with Caribbean characters, so it was such a delight to see that this book has a Guyanese heroine. It was even lovelier to discover that the author has Trini heritage, too.

Patience Jordan's Caribbean identity was evident throughout the book, with many references to the region that I recognized - poinciana, marigolds, sorrel, references to the sea and to Island gods. Her identity isn't just lip service to diversity, it's evident in her longing for her home country (something every migrant will recognize) and her memories of her life in the former Demerara. The book has excellent representation of diversity in colonial Britain, and acknowledges the ways racism was evident in such a society. It also discusses the position and expectations of women in that context. The discussion of Patience's accent and appearance being looked down on and her efforts to conform to British expectations are relevant, sadly up until today. The representation of disability with the male lead, Busick, as well as other minor characters, were also done well. I particularly enjoyed the characterization of his mother, which showed the ability of older women to have active love lives. Female friendships were beautifully done, with evident support and care between the few female characters. It's also notable that Patience is a nursing mother to a very young baby, and this is represented nicely throughout the book (aside from some questionable comments from the Duke).

Though billed as a romance, the book was just as much (if not more) a mystery story. The chemistry between the two leads was lukewarm, though there were some sweet and tender moments in their chaste romance. Unfortunately, Busick often came across as condescending and rigid. The reciprocation on Patience's part seems somewhat halfhearted. The power dynamic between them is lopsided and that can be uncomfortable at times. This was particularly notable in the discussion of marriage, as Patience is pretty much ordered into it and doesn't seem very enthusiastic. This is unfortunate, as there are other scenes where they show a rapport of good communication. As others have mentioned, the writing style is unusual, with Patience's POV in first person and Busick's POV in third person. It's not a deal breaker, but it can be unpleasantly distracting.

If you're looking for a rollicking and easy romance, this may not be the read for you. However, if you'd like to read about characters with complex backgrounds that are well represented coming together in a difficult situation, you'll likely enjoy this one. Also, the baby is adorable.

CW: suicide, drugging, extortion, attempted sexual assault, forced psychiatric commitment, separation of a mother from her baby (all happen off the page)

Patience Jordan was from Demerara. and fell in love with Colin Jordan. He had visited the area of Guyana, met Patience, married her, and bought her to England. They were married about four years and he either committed suicide or was murdered. Over the four years, she had a son, Lionel. A sweet baby, she adored him. When her husband died, his uncle, Markham moved in, told anyone who asked that he was lionel's guardian. He had Patience committed to Bedlam and he continued doing as he wished.
Busick Strathmore, Duke of Ripington, had been looking for his ward for six weeks. When he came to Hamlin Hall, he came with a bunch of soldiers and surrounded the house. He had also been a strategist with Wellington till he was injured. He did everything by a timetable. I believe he was hoping to go back to war. But now he had an infant to raise and he seemed happy with Lionel. It had been two years since he was wounded, I don't believe he will ever be called back, his injuries were that bad.
This was a very complicated story. I have no idea how the author kept up with it. But she did. It became an engrossing and intriguing tale. The characters were very well written and could even be realistic. The description of the background was excellent. She seemed to always have you guessing about what was going to happen. I loved this book, I could just see, in my mind, this squad of military men with their guns out and surrounding the house. taking control. I laugh, cried, and was sad when reading this.
I received this novel from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it and enjoyed it.

This is another new-to-me author, and while enjoyed the story so much, the POV tense changes were a bit jarring for me.

Patience Jordan is having a rough few months. She had her first baby, a boy, Lionel. Her husband, Colin, killed himself. Colin's dastardly uncle, Markham, has inserted himself at her home, then had her committed to Bedlam for being a danger to her son. She was released by a kindly solicitor, who is the nephew of a local widow, Lady Shrewsbury. The Lady runs a secret organization called The Widow's Grace to help widows in need to regain their freedoms, and custody of their children. But, the Lady's plan is taking too long, and Patience, who is not known for the virtue of her name, has to act before she fears her baby will starve. So, she's been dressing as a man, and sneaking into the estate at night, through the catacombs, to feed Lionel, and see that he's as cared for as he can be. But, when an armed battalion shows up one night, led by Colin's cousin, the Duke of Repington, Lionel's actual guardian, she's both relieved, and scared for different reasons.

Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington, has a new ward to take care of, and his own health and vitality to restore, after his grave war injuries. When he arrives and kicks Markham out of the estate, things are off to a good start. But, they can't locate the boy's mother, and Markham has been known to drug/dispose of people as it suits him, so she could be gone for good. The Duke needs to find a new wet nurse/nanny for the baby immediately. The next morning, when his friend Lady Shrewsbury shows up, with 2 new maids to hire in tow, he gives in semi-gracefully and hires them. Especially once he learns the one is a wet nurse for the boy. But he fights a strong attraction to her, as he knows that no good man dallies with servants under his command.

Busick and Patience have verbal wars constantly, and he likes that she actually speaks her mind and argues with him, most of the time. But, she doesn't feel she can trust anyone, including him, and so she keeps up her ruse as the nanny. Their chemistry is strong, though both are fighting it hard, each for their own reasons. Meanwhile, there's a mystery afoot, involving Patience's dead husband and his uncle, and figuring it out and stopping Markham is the only way to truly insure Lionel's safety. She will do anything to protect her baby, including continuing to lie to the man she may be falling for, with every caring thing he does for her son. I liked watching them dance around each other, and their falling together was slow and steady, and wonderful.

The side characters here were delightful too, especially Lady Shrewbury's nephew, Mr. Thackery, and Jemina St. Maur, Patience's friend and ally who has amnesia, but has committed herself to helping Patience right the wrongs done to her and her baby. Mr. Thackery and Jemina appear to be headed for the next book together, and I'm definitely interested in reading that story!

Honestly my only real issue here at all was with the changing tenses. The author uses 1st person POV when in Patience's head. But when she switches to Busick's POV, the tense changes with it, to 3rd person. Normally, I'm not someone bothered by tense choice AT ALL. I've read and loved plenty of stories in both 1st and 3rd, and even a couple in 2nd, and normally I don't even notice it, or care either way. But, the changing tenses threw me off so much. At first, I wasn't even sure what was bothering me while reading, but SOMETHING was. And even when I finally realized, I just kept struggling with it throughout the story. I'm positive that the author did this with a purpose, though I don't know what it was. Sadly, it mostly just distracted me from the story every time it happened. This was still a 4 Star book for me though, as I adored the characters, and their journey, and how the story ultimately played out.

This was a very intriguing look into this world the author has created, and I am curious to read more. Hopefully if the tense switching continues I'll at least be prepared for it next time, and it won't hinder me as much. Please, try this one for yourself, as I do recommend it highly!

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest reviews.

If you like regency era romances with a strong leading lady, then you'll probably enjoy this. I struggled with the writing style and that it switched from first to third person for the different POV. I did like that it looked at diversity and disabilities in this era. Also the sentence structure was sometimes a little hard to follow. I did like some of the supporting characters and even Patience and Busick and this is the first in a series called Rogues and Remarkable Women, that I'll probably give the next book a chance.

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!