For the first 15% of this book I really actively disliked it. I was seriously considering dnfing it. I've read Burrowes' books before and enjoyed them, but it felt like we were dumped into a scene midway through followed by a series of short conversations between characters I didn't know about this mysterious thing that no one was naming. Part of this could be that it was the fifth in a series (which I didn't realize until I started reading it.)

However. I persevered and actually started really enjoying it soon after that, when Constance and Robert start interacting more.

The really interesting thing about this book, to me, is that it wasn't what I was expecting for a historical romance. There wasn't a lot of sex (honestly that's a good thing), and Constance and Robert got together VERY early on. The conflict didn't hinge on their relationship or misunderstandings between them, but rather on outside events each was going through. It actually felt more like historical fiction than historical romance.

The families were wonderful, and I was reminded a great deal of the Bridgertons. Which is good as I adored the Bridgerton clan and now I adore the Rothmeres and Wentworths as well. I'm tempted to go back and read the other books in the series now that I know how much fun the characters are.

This novel also took on some serious topics - Epilepsy, mental competency trials, anxiety, and adopted children one regrets giving up. I don't have personal experience with any of those, but I do have other debilitating physical and mental illnesses and the way these topics were handled rang true to me.

All in all a great book, but that awkward beginning drops the rating a bit for me.

This story will make you gasp, get mad, and cry. Robert has epilepsy, and is locked awsy for years. Constance has a secret. I will not spoil the story. I will tell you it is so well written, it truly hurt my heart. The characters came to life, and you will feel their pain and joy.

Grace Burrows knows how to tell a story. Incredibly!

Constance is shocked when she sees Robert Rothmere at a ball.  She tries to avoid him, but he waylays her, and they walk in the garden.  What Constance thought would be incredibly awkward was, in fact, quite nice.  Constance had known Robert when he was a patient in an asylum.  He isn’t insane, he is epileptic. The “asylum” was actually a place that Robert’s father had stowed him away and a horrible doctor had been experimenting on him.

Constance’s sister and Robert’s brother are in love and engaged to be married.  This brings Constance and Robert together more and more and they find themselves falling in love.  The road to happiness, however, will be a rough road.  Constance has a secret she doesn’t want to share with Robert but must in order to be completely honest with him.  Robert could possibly be seen as unfit to run a dukedom and put under a guardianship.  They will both try as hard as they can to avoid this happening.  With Robert’s brother and Constance’s family and friends they will try to overcome all the obstacles in their way to a bright future.

This was definitely a romance, but I felt that most of the book was taken up with Constance’s secret and Robert and his epilepsy.  That was actually fine, because it worked in this instance and was well done.  That said, the first part of the book was a bit…I want to say stodgy, but that’s not quite right.  It just didn’t flow the way that I’m used to Burrowes’ books flowing and it was disjointed for me.  The second part was definitely more cohesive, and the story really picked up.

I loved Constance and Robert together.  There wasn’t too much of the typical romance between the two, but the way that Burrowes portrayed their love throughout the book was definitely sigh-worthy.  She did a great job showing us how much in love these two characters were.

The secondary characters definitely need to be mentioned as they were an integral part of the story.  I loved how Burrowes took the “it takes a village” saying and ran with it – even though these were adults.  It showed the love and care that the two families had for their siblings and I loved that.

Overall a good read. I haven’t read the previous four books in this series but didn’t feel that not doing so detracted from this story in any way.

Rating:  3.75/4 out of 5

This was my first book in this Series and I will definitely be looking into reading more. I found the main characters easy to like, both strong but flawed and a perfect couple. I, also, found the concept original as I have never read a book with the Hero suffering from Epilepsy and, also, having to deal with issues of competency as a result of the lack of knowledge of the disease. The story flew by and I stayed intrigued to the end. I received an ARC for my honest opinion.

It took a few chapters for me to engage, but it wasn't long before I was flipping pages. Robert Rothmere has lived years in the shadows. He has the fainting sickness, epilepsy. Taken as a child and hidden from his family, he's gradually worked his way back to establishing himself as the Duke of Rotthaven . Constance Wentworth has a connection with Robert from years ago. As they reestablish their relationship, Robert's put on trial for his competency to manage his estate and Constance must confront her past. Very, very clever resolutions to the story. Kudos to Burrowes. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I love Grace Burrowes and the wonderful characters she creates, which is why I adore the fact that she writes in series. The Rogues to Riches series has been as entertaining as all of the others. After the end of the last book (A Duke by Any Other Name), I was anxiously awaiting this series to learn about the history of Constance and Robert. They did not disappoint (not that I thought they would).

Robert suffers from epilepsy (otherwise known as the falling sickness) and was thought dead for many years while he was, in reality, trapped in a hospital and the subject of experiments. Constance grew up in poverty with an abusive father and made some bad decisions along the way while her brother was earning a fortune to care for the family. She also came across Robert once upon a time while working at the hospital where he was detained. The two became close and then never saw each other again until their siblings are getting married and he is a Duke, no longer in the hospital.

The two characters have much to work through, but their firm foundation of friendship makes them a force to be reckoned with as they conquer the obstacles life throws in their path. Settled on a path towards marriage and love early on in the book, they still face a myriad of exterior forces such as vain and greedy neighbors hoping to strip Robert of his title and an illegitimate child.

My one frustration with the book is the characters from the previous stories in the series. It seems that, the further along in the series you get, the more they lose their original personality. This has become painfully true of the original duke, Constance’s brother, Quinn. He no longer has a mind of his own, but defers all thoughts and decisions to his wife, Jane. She now runs the entire family as his Duchess because he dares not displease her. A desire to please one’s wife can only go so far before a man who is theoretically the richest and one of the most powerful men in England just comes off as being spineless.

This was a romance grounded in the time it takes place and I point this out because too often that isn't the case. Epilepsy played a staring role in this in a time where people didn't understand much about it. Bravo.

I have loved this series by Grace Burrowes. Each has had unique, compelling characters for both the hero and heroine. I found these two particularly fascinating because they were so sure of themselves and yet changed in distinct, but believable, natural ways during the course of the story. The books don't need to be read in order, it just makes it more enjoyable to revisit old friends.

Fascinating and lovely. Robert has epilepsy and must defend himself from a challenge to his mental competence. I love these characters and this story and the world Ms Burrowes has created.

Secrets always come to light! Robert, the forgotten Duke who was once hidden away because of a common ailment which we call today epilepsy. He has men that want to gain control of his estate by having him declared incompetent.

Lady Constance has a doozy of a secret, but she tries to keep herself under everyone’s radar by becoming part of the background. She makes no waves and causes no problems, but she has met Robert before! Uh, oh how is that possible if he was sent away?

This book is truly a wonderful book to read! The first one I was not so thrilled about, but the author has her mojo back because the characters flowed and the book came together. I enjoyed this storyline and how the author developed the characters in this particularly Constance!

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

My first novel by Grace Burrowes is a fifth in a series. This book borders on historical fiction to me because the romance is set early on in the novel. Robert Rothmere is a duke with a dark past. His father locked him away in an asylum to receive treatment for the "falling sickness" (epilepsy). Having a hero with epilepsy was interesting given the limited understanding of the time period for the disease. Roth sees Lady Constance Wentworth and remembers her as a girl who once worked in the kitchens of the asylum. In her time there she snuck him food and gave him comfort. Now she is a lady who wants to remain unnoticed in society and desires to paint and live in the country. There is a plot to put Roth under guardianship because of his illness. Can he prove he is competent to run his own affairs? I love the relationship between the H/h because it isn't typical for a romance novel. There are real mental and physical health issues that can impact their future. I also appreciate that the families of the H/h were supportive, kind and helpful.

The book is told from many POVs. Listening in on conversations of siblings or villains is interesting but it also slows the story. Also with many side conversations I found two or three small scenes or plot points where I wondered why it was included because it didn't lead somewhere. I don't want to list them as it could include spoilers. The major story is well written, with a good conclusion. The romantic scenes were soft to strong PG-13, leaving your imagination to complete the details. Sensitive topics include treatment of mental and physical health, abuse by a parent, alcoholism, giving up a child etc. These are not overly explicit.

I enjoyed the novel and will at look for others in the series. Thank you to Net Galley and Forever for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

In The Truth About Dukes, Grace Burrowes depicts the romance between a hero who had been abandoned by his father to an asylum due to his "falling sickness" and a heroine who he met and helped during his stay there. Now a duke, he hides from society due to the unpredictability of his spells, assisted by his younger brother. However as his brother has become affianced (this is a series of books, but it's not necessary to have read the previous installments), Robert realizes he needs to step outside of his fears and concerns. Constance, the heroine, is extremely reserved and cold, and somewhat hard to warm up to, but I did feel their connection, and it was enough to keep going through the novel. Burrowes is hit and miss for me--in this case, it was more of a hit as Robert was a very sympathetic hero, and the coupling was dignified, and much of the novel unfolded in ways that make sense. It's a fairly gentle read, so if you like high, florid romance, this won't be it. If you're a fan of Mary Balogh, however, you will likely enjoy this story.

4.5 stars

I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest and unbiased review; all opinions are my own.

I love this series.
This story is about Robert, who we met in the previous book. Robert, has the falling sickness(epilepsy).
His brother has been caring for him since finding him locked up in a hospital.
Lady Constance, is the perfect match for him. She is like a mother bear protecting her young. Grace deals with illness with knowledge.
Recommend this series.

The Truth About Dukes is the 5th book in Grace Burrowes' Rogues to Riches series. It is the story of Robert Rothmere and Lady Constance Wentworth. Robert has spent much of his life confined against his will and Constance has unfortunate past that is unknown to even her close siblings. Both are desperate to be left alone and to avoid the world. Their friendship and budding romance is sweet and heartwarming the obstacles they face are believable. The story deals heavily with Regency-era perceptions of mental illness and disabilities and the author offers an explanatory historical note at the end of the book.

Burrowes is adept at creating large casts of interwoven families who appear in multiple books and who become old and dear friends to the reader by the later books in the series. Like all her books, this book is full of warmth and affection (between friends and family, as well as the happy couple) This book provides an excellent escape and leaves the reader feeling hopeful about the world.

The Truth About Dukes by Grace Burrowes gives me a bit of a disadvantage as I have never delved into the other 4 books in the series but am thankful I am given the opportunity to read this one. When I first started to read this story, my heart immediately dropped for Robert, the Duke of Rothmere and Lady Constance Wentworth as you read more about the characters, the underlying stories of their pasts and secrets start to unfold.

This story brings out several memorable details...it speaks on falling sickness (seizures), physical abuse, underaged pregnancy, giving up a child, cruel treatment in institutions and a touch on child exploitation. There is a bit of anxiety and angst that each character has to deal with and overcome. This story moved my heart so much for the H/h and the forces they had to deal with that were not of familial nature. It was outsiders that created the drama in their lives and relationship.

I loved the development of the major and minor characters and how the plot transitioned to provide you with a breath when the villains get their comeuppance for their misdeeds. This was a very enjoyable story and I am also enjoying my fanship of Grace Burrowes and her stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC for my fair and honet review. All opinions in this review are my own.

There is always something about reading a Grace Burrowes book that is like coming home. We met Robert in the prior book - and I had so much sympathy for him. He had been confined to a private home for medical treatment - and it was a true house of horrors - because of his epilepsy. As a result - he developed additional issues including agoraphobia and severe anxiety. None of which, of course, are understood by the people of the time and certainly aren't acceptable for a Duke. Reading about it was just so incredibly sad. But amazingly Robert isn't bitter or angry about it - he just wants to live and be at peace.

Constance has seemed like the most aloof Wentworth - hard to read and distant. But her personal story packs a punch. Both she and Robert really are victims of their time, but they find acceptance and love with each other.

I loved that all of the drama surrounding their relationship came from external forces - what was never in doubt for even a second is their love for each other.

This book deals with a lot of sensitive topics - <spoiler> chronic illness, anxiety, giving up a child, physical abuse and touches on the fact that Constance's father forced her and her sister to allow men to touch them sexually for money at a young age)</spoiler>. But the story is extremely moving and just makes your heart feel good to see the nasty folks get whats coming to them.

I loved it- and continue to love this series.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

To say that Constance and Robert come from dysfunctional fathers would not be an exaggeration. Robert’s epilepsy is treated by his father sending him to an asylum and telling everyone he died. Constance’s drunk and abusive father leads her to make poor choices in her life. They come to trust, depend, and love each other. Great story! I can’t wait to read the next in the series! I received an ARC from NetGalley and Forever for my honest review.

I love a romance, particularly historical romance, that has a protagonist with a disability or mental illness. Regency romances are often predictable, and while I love a titled rake, I appreciate stories that delve deeper. Grace Burrowes does this so well and has become a go-to any time I want to read a well written and interesting historical romance. I typically prefer romances a little steamier than this one was, but found that this story was compelling and well-written enough that I didn't mind.

There is no one better than Grace Burrowes in crafting damaged, very real personalities in historical England, and The Truth About Dukes is no exception. Through Robert and Constance’s secrets and histories, Burrowes lays bare the tragedies each must bear because of the unforgiving moral structures of their time and class. Robert and Constance each struggle to come away from their pasts while finding sure footing with each other, and their romance is not just loving, but it is one of triumph over past hurts and present dangers.

If you’re a Burrowes fan like me, The Truth About Dukes will not disappoint.