Who doesn't love a Beauty and the Beast theme? This inexperienced author really hits it out of the park. Sparks fly between our main characters and I loved that Callum's main skill was that he baked. This led to some hilarious moments. I figured out Ellen's secret early on but I loved how it was handled. This is a family of unique characters and one that is not a blood bond. They are family regardless and it just goes to show that it's not the family that you were born into that creates the strongest ties.

This was a fantastic read, humour, steam and angst blend together to create a real page-turner. I loved it. I highly recommend this book.

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book.

I found the pacing to be troublesome and distracting. It was like watching a soap opera and realizing the characters are at the SAME party for the third week in a row. Throughout the book, tidbits of information would just be added into a conversation - not in a fun Easter egg kind of way, but more like the author didn't realize they hadn't told us about that thing, yet. Then, the ending was rushed and messy - with the big reveal, the resolution, and the happy ending all in the same short space. 

Stars: 2.5

Ellen Burney is fleeing from her home, dominated by her cruel brother. Penniless she changes her name to Smith and takes up a paid position as companion to an elderly lady intent on staying with her grandson for the London season. Callum Callaghan, the aforementioned grandson, is now a duke due to the untimely death of his older brother. Scarred inside and out by rumours that he had a hand in his brother's death while they were both serving in the Royal Navy, he's become a recluse. His grandmother intends to shake him out of it and, after gettiung off to a bad start, Ellen is part of that plan. Yes, you can see where this is going, but it gets there in an interesting way. A very decent debut novel.

A regency romance with a nice twist, The Unworthy Duke is an entertaining debut novel for author Charlotte Anne. This story largely takes place in just one house, that of Calum Callaghan, Duke of Woodhal. Badly scarred from a fire on his naval vessel, Calum also bears mental scars over the death of his half brother in the same fire. I truly felt for him when the solitude he’d taken refuge in was overturned first by a very wet Ellen tumbling through his window, and later by the arrival of his grandmother. There are moments in this story that are really funny, but there are underlying themes that are less joyful. Ellen has escaped from unthinkable domestic violence, while Calum has been treated appallingly both by society and by his stepmother after surviving a ship fire that left him appallingly scarred and took the life of his half brother, whom he loved and who had been destined to become the duke. I debut author Charlotte Anne dealt well with these issues. While there is definitely room for improvement in both writing technique and character development this story has been an entertaining and enjoyable read.

A big problem that I had with this novel (which I am hoping was corrected in the final round of edits), is the formatting. New chapters often appeared in the middle of the page with no special formatting, not only making it look sloppy, but interrupting the flow of the novel as well.

Another problem I had with this one (which again the formatting did not help) was the way the narrative would randomly jump from Cal and Ellen to people living in her former hometown, and back again. I found it made it hard to keep track of just what was going on. This fact became even more obvious in later chapters when it seemed as though there were several different story-lines happening at once.

As for the characters, I adored Lady Faye. She was a delight in every scene you encountered her in, and Owen was such an over the top charmer that I would love to read more about him. As for Calum and Ellen? Meh. I wasn't sold on them or their relationship. Something about their interactions just didn't seem genuine to me, and I didn't buy the way he seemed to quickly warm up to her, going out of his way to help her with the (obvious to me) plot twists.

However, this being a debut novel? I definitely see potential here for bigger and better things from this author, and I will definitely read them again in the future.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I love a when a story involves someone having to go in disguise. There is always the suspense of waiting for the truth to come to light. Ellen is a woman who has had to deal with a lot in life and deciding to take control of her own life. I really enjoyed following Calum breaking free of his self imposed prison. Watching them grow and bond was a real treat!

I  surprised myself that I still wanted to give this story a 4 Star rating on Amazon. Mainly because I don't usually give them to a story that has what I consider a slow pace for such a long time.
BUT.. the characters just made me want to go there. Both Ellen and Calum won me over and kept me going. And so did some of the secondary people, like his Grandmother often referred to as Lady F. I liked her and her unorthodox, bossy ways. I wasn't sure at first about her but it didn't take long to see who she really was. Add in an odd dog named Tzar, and a flamboyant "cousin" who dresses and acts dramatically. Another oddity is the house itself which was a surprise touch as well.
Ellen has a secret. One that her abusive brother has held over her head to try to control her. I would have liked to have seen more of Gwen although she did show up more towards the end.
No reason was ever given for Calum's slipping into his Scottish accent v.s. his Oxford English. But it wasn't too hard to guess that it was probably something that he had to adjust when he went to England. I liked that his Scottish speech was something that Ellen liked though.
I also enjoyed the "dislike to kind of a friendship to romance" that got hot at times. They both kept kind of switching back and forth as they tried to find their way. The story was emotional that was well done. Also the ending with a sweet H.E.A. was a plus that made me smile.

"I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were so good! I especially loved Ellen's bravery and sweetness, Owen's humor, and Cal's broodiness. Each was well-written and enjoyable. The romance was steamy yet swoon-worthy and sweet at the same time. The plot had danger, romance, friendship, a bit of humor, and a great family dynamic between the siblings. It also dealt with abuse and had all the emotions in this story. One moment I was smiling from joy and the next I was crying. It was well-written, but it could've used a bit more editing. I really enjoyed it though and can't wait for more from Charlotte!

This is a fabulous debut by Charlotte Anne, can a scared hero and a heroine doing everything to keep herself and her young sister safe find happiness and love and also do their best to stop a scandal, theirs is a rocky road and I do hope that you will pick this one up and see what happens.
Miss Ellen Burney is doing her best to stop a huge scandal in the small village of Evendale and with no money she becomes Miss Ellen Smith and takes on the position of Lady’s companion to Lady Faye and arrives in London to start, but when she arrives this house is nothing like she expected and her arrival is a shock to the owner of the house.

Calum Callaghan, Duke of Woodhal is scared inside and out after fighting for ten years in the navy, he lost his half- brother and after being accused of murder he is now a hermit in his house, a recluse and that is the way he likes it, but there seems to be someone that is determined to change that, his grandmother Lady F, with her lady’s companion in tow are about to turn his like upside down.

Ellen is nothing but strong and determined to do what she must and no one even Mr. Grumpy Calum is going to stop her, she sees through Calum right from their first meeting which was witty and fiery and Lady F is there to push them all the way. Calum wants peace and quiet and now his house is filled servants and family and Ellie who he is finding hard to ignore in many ways and after one kiss he wants more.

When danger arrives Calum takes on the challenge to keep her safe, he might be Mr. Grumpy but he has a heart of gold and will do whatever needs to be done because he has lost his heart to Ellen even if she is refusing to acknowledge his love.

This is a great story, witty with lots of laughs along the way to their HEA, Ellen is a fabulous heroine, I really loved her even if she is a bit stubborn at times and Calum strong, caring and loving and hero any heroine would want, then there is Lady F what a character she made me smile and you can’t forget Owen I do hope he gets his HEA.

I do highly recommend this story, it is filled with witty banter, lots of laughs and emotion as Calum and Ellen find their way to a wonderful HEA. Huge congratulations on a fabulous Debut Charlotte Anne.

Broody heroes are my catnip, so it's no wonder that I picked up this book with high expectations.  Charlotte Anne is a newer author, with The Unworthy Duke being her first professional published book, having published one book previously on Wattpad.  I have read many books by authors at this stage of their career, and I am thoroughly impressed more often than not.  This book was absolutely wonderful, with its colorful characters, unique plot, and a romance that was sweet yet sexy all at once.  I started a new job the week I began reading, and I needed some romantic reading to decompress.  This book fit the bill and quickly became a "comfort read" for several days.  

When her brother turned his bad temper towards her sister, Gwen, Miss Ellen Burney knew she had no choice but to leave and ensure her sister would be safe.  Believing separation would allow Ellen to make enough money to eventually bring Gwen, she leaves her in the care of a family friend and sets off to London to work as the paid companion of a dowager marchioness.  Upon arrival, she is rudely "welcomed" by the Duke of Woodhal, a relation to the dowager and wholly opposed to the older woman inviting herself to stay with him for the season.  Scarred from a fire that took the life of his brother and scorned by a society who believes he's at fault, Calum Callaghan has been in isolation the last four years, rarely leaving his townhouse.  Ellen captures his attention immediately, at first for her intrusion into his life but then for the similarities between the two of them.  Calum isn't the only one with a traumatic past, and soon he'll have to put his power as a duke to use in order to keep Ellen and her sister safe.

The cast of characters in this book really made the reading experience an enjoyable one, from the gruff yet lovable Duke to the flamboyant and youthful Owen.  One of my favorite characteristics about Calum was that he cooks, and it's mentioned several times in the story.  There's something about a broody duke who cooks that just makes my heart flutter, maybe because it shows a vulnerable side since dukes aren't known for doing any sort of labor, let alone how to use the kitchen at all.  It was adorable how he was protective of his kitchen, and then he would bake a cake that was delicious.  It's the little things in this story that will make you fall in love!  Owen was a particularly enjoyable character, partially for the comic relief he brought to the drama.  He's probably meant to be a side character forever, but I'm hoping he gets his own book at some point.  I need more Owen in my life.  Ellen was a lovely character as well, especially with her bravery and confidence to manage her difficulties.  She had a few moments where I would get frustrated with her choices, but on the whole she was very relatable.  

This will definitely not be the last book I read by this author, if she has another book in the works.  I loved her writing style and look forward to seeing what she writes next.

Running from abuse and her brother, Ellen Burney becomes a companion for a feisty Grandmother of a Duke. The Duke is Callum Callaghan and he is a battle fatigued soldier that was injured. The two have an instant attraction that they both try to squelch their desires. 
Things start to heat up in more ways than one and this book will keep you turning the pages to see where it goes. 
The author is predictable in a few areas and she does leave some things unresolved so, I am thinking a 2nd book which would tie things up in a more cohesive manner. It just feels as though the ending is rushed and not put together with as much thought as the rest of the book. 
I would still recommend this book because it is a good read.

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

Reinventing.


Ellen is reinventing herself as a companion. 
Calum is a duke with plenty of guilt, scars and avoidance. 
I liked Calum.

Mayfair, London  -  1817

Miss Ellen Burney has fled her home to escape her abusive brother, Geoffrey, and his gambling debts which have left her near penniless.  She has a letter offering her a position as companion to Lady Faye, a dowager Marchioness.

When she arrives in London, she is ahead of the dowager and encounters Calum (Cal) Callaghan, the new Duke of Woodhal, living alone in the house with his dog.  Cal had been wounded in the war with Napoleon ending up with many burn scars and a limp.  He has been falsely accused of killing his brother to become the duke and has hidden in his home for four years drinking.

Ellen simply forces her way into the house and not long after Lady Faye and her ward, Owen Tattershall, arrive.  Lady Faye immediately hires some servants and tells Cal that he will be putting up with her.

Ellen and Cal are attracted to one another and he finds he wants to protect her.  When her brother discovers where she is, Cal heads out to bring her little sister, Gwen, to London to protect her from Geoffrey too.

As we get to know more about Cal’s family, we find there are lots of family feuds and bitterness.

I found this story to be convoluted and confusing at times.  It really could have used a good editor to help it flow smoothly.  The plot is good but the story was just too choppy.  I’m also not fond of instant sexual gratification.  But to be fair, I am giving this book 3 stars.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Unworthy Duke by Charlotte Anne is a steamy historical romance that pulls you in and takes you away to another time, another place. The characters are intriguing and well-written, with captivating backstories. The Unworthy Duke unfolds at a smooth, steady pace making it read like a movie.

To escape her abusive brother, Ellen takes a position as a lady's companion. But when she reaches the London townhome of her employer, there's no lady to be found—only a drunk, recalcitrant duke who resents the interruption of his solitude. Can Ellen coax Calum out of the seclusion brought on by his war injuries and the death of his brother? And can Calum protect her from her controlling brother?

I love grumpy heroes and fierce heroines. These two are particularly fun. This book also has a great supporting cast and a tense plot that keeps the pages turning. Loved it!

I received and read an advance copy of this book. This is my honest and unsolicited review. All opinions are my own.

The Unworthy Duke is an interesting and unusual regency period romance that I thoroughly enjoyed.  The underlying issue is the abusive brother from whom the heroine, Ellen, runs.  Close family friends hide her little sister, Gwen, from him.  So, keep this domestic abuse in mind should that be an issue for you.  Otherwise, I pretty much laughed the first 40% of the book due to exchanges between Ellen and Cal, the duke.  He is determined to have his privacy in his state of depression and mental self-flagellation over the death of his half-brother.  Ellen is just as determined to stay in his home and be his grandmother’s companion to be able to save funds for her sister.

Cal’s mischievous grandmother and cousin only add to the issues between Ellen and Cal.  All quite laughably charming.  Then, you eventually return to the real issue of Ellen’s awful brother and his need to control her.  The ending is adorable, but there are some difficult issues along the way to their HEA.

I enjoyed this book overall.  After glancing at the other reviews on Net Galley, enough has been written about the grammar and presentation of the book that I see no need to address it further.  Nor do I score a book due to those issues.

The Unworthy Duke catches all the right feels that you could possibly expect in a historical romance, the novel offers a troubled woman who tries to solve a problem without the help of a man and realizes that even if she doesn't per say need that help it would still be well received. 

The novel hits you with all the feels as it explores that sometimes there is more to a person than what they may portray.

This one is good - rather wordy at times and I found myself skimming BUT it’s a good overall story. It has some “hot” scenes which I wasn’t ready for - haha - but I figured someone out there might want to know that before you read. I love the ending and how the characters are developed. The DETAILS that Charlotte Anne add are definitely fantastic and you really feel like you are there seeing it live. Overall a great read!

This is the first book by Charlotte Anne that I've read. I enjoyed the story - ladies companion finding true love - but there were some grammatical errors in the book - incorrect tenses of words or missing words in a sentence. I could always figure out what was meant but it did require rereading a sentence in order to figure out what was going on. 

If you like a rags-to-riches story, a HEA ending to your regency romance, then you will enjoy this book.

I hope you edit this book very well, it has a lot of errors. I did enjoy this story though. It was funny, sad, and kind of scary. Her dad had been dead for two years and for all that time her brother had abused her. But when he hit her six-year-old sister, that was enough. So her friend hid with Gwen and she went to London to find a job so she could take care of them. Miss Ellen Burney(Smith), had presented herself as a companion to Lady Faye. When she first arrived at the address she was given, the house was dark and no one answered the bell. She rang several times but no answer. So she climbed into a window, it was rainy and so very cold.  Calum McKenna Callgham, eldest son of Hammond, the late Duke of Woodhall, ducal heir, Marquess of Holliway, Earl of Eyles, Baron Summerhayes, and Gleason. Boy, was that a mouth full. His brother died four years ago. His dad died two years ago.  He blamed himself for his brother's death. He was living in a house that was falling down around his ears, he had scars on the left side of his body including his face. He felt he did not deserve better. 
The characters were so realistic and the anger and pain, they felt were well portrayed. They loved each other but her brother was a definite deterrent. He hated his sister and I do mean hate.   She did have the support of his family and her friends.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.