Loved every minute of this prequal novella! Dex and Georgie had amazing chemistry that grabs a reader from the very beginning. I was immersed in their story from page 1. I will definitely recommend this book and look forward to the Duchess Society series.
Thank you Tracy Sumner and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

The Ice Duchess by Tracy Sumner
Prequel to the Duchess Society Series

Swept into the past, I fell in love with Georgiana and Dexter. These two were definitely soul mates, if such exist! They may have had a rough patch for a while but thankfully things came right for them in the end!

What I liked:
* Georgiana: duchess, widow, educator of women on the marriage market, guarded, loves her freedom, reputation of being icy, potentially wooable if the right man comes along and woos well.
* Dexter: Marquess soon to be duke, geologist, traveler, son, friend, responsible, aware of what he may have lost, determined to win the woman he truly wants for his duchess – the perfect book boyfriend!
* The way the past was covered.
* The setting
* The honesty between the couple – and their communication
* How well suited the two were for each other
* The romance, gifts, steamy bits, and that I knew they truly cared for one another
* That I was drawn in and came to care deeply about both characters
* The depth of feeling Georgiana and dexter had for one another
* The feeling that the two were well matched and equally yoked
* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like:
* Being reminded that marriage in this era was a business transaction and women were treated as a commodity up for sale.
* The reason Georgiana was married the first time.

Did I like this book? YES!
Would I read more in this series? Definitely!!!

Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

"The Ice Duchess" is a prequel novella in the Duchess Society series by Tracy Sumner. It's a second chance romance following childhood best friends Dex and Georgie. Dex left years before to pursue his love of rocks and fossils leaving Georgie behind with consequences that will forever change her. I love books where the hero is pursuing the heroine relentlessly. Dex is hopelessly in love with her from the very first page.

Oftentimes, I find characters are not well developed in a novella but this was not the case in "The Ice Duchess." They showed depth and growth from who they were as children to adulthood. This was my first time reading anything by Tracy Sumner. I can't wait to continue on in the Duchess Society series. I am hoping we get to see more little snippets of Dex and Georgie's life through future novels.

Thank you to Tracy Sumner and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dexter and Georgiana make an interesting pair.
She will attempt to match him but she truly wants him for herself.
If you like steamy second chance romance you will love this book.
I have received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This in no way affects my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to BookBuzz.net and Travy Sumner for providing me this arc via Netgalley!
Oh well, once again I get a 100 page novella instead of a full-length novel without realizing.
The thing with me is that rushed relationships are one of my no no's when it comes to books and I feel that I can never truly enjoy a novella like this because the relationship never feels developed enough. I am a true believer that novellas only work as a complement to a book or a series.
Besides that, I love side characters, sub plot and all of that that comes with a full book, and that didn't show up here.
But even trying to put that aside, I still didn't really like this book. There's nothing wrong with it exactly, but it didn't captivate me.
I did like Dex, I really can't resist a nerdy hero. I do wish we could have seen deeper his past and personality.
Also, there was too much Christmas everywhere. Maybe it would work better if I weren't reading this book in August, while lying on the beach.

What a feel good book! This is my first book by Tracy Sumner, and now I want more, more, more! This delightful Prequel is a second chance love story between childhood friends who had gone their separate ways and meet again years later. Dex had gone off to follow his passion and Georgiana had been "sold" into marriage with a much older and cruel man. Their story is lovely and satisfying. 4-1/2 stars.
Thank you NetGalley, and the Publisher, for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

If you are looking for an intelligent, excellently-written Regency novella, The Ice Duchess is one for you. It is a prequel to her upcoming series and if it is any example, I’m putting them all on insta-buy. I have not read genuine, incredibly well-written longing and unresolved sexual tension for some time. (It eventually is resolved, but the anticipation is just as good.)

The story involves the reunion of Georgiana Collins Whitcomb, Countess of Winterbourne and her childhood crush Dexter Reed Munro, Marquess of Westfield, heir to the Duke of Markham. Dexter was Georgie’s brother’s best friend and grew up with them, running about in the rugged hills of Derbyshire. He had a falling out with his father, the Duke because of his ambitions to become a professional Geologist, which he has done to great success. He has returned home for Christmas because his father is dying and he will have to become Duke.

While he went off to find himself, and a bunch of rocks, Georgie was married off to a much older man, who treated her very badly. With his death, she’s vowed never to remarry as she has income now and doesn’t need to put up with another abuser. She has begun training other noble young women to drive hard bargains for themselves before they consent to being married. She takes it as her duty to warn them what they’re getting into in a realistic and somewhat cynical way, as no one warned her. This has earned her the nickname “The Ice Countess” and the informal academy she’s created “The Duchess Society.”

Georgie was madly in love with Dex before he left. And he had kissed her once. But as she clearly had meant less to him than rocks, she has no wish to entangle herself with him now. But she finds that old habits die hard and she becomes entangled first by simply enjoying his familiar company and then by entering into a wager where she’ll provide him with a Duchess from her stable of proteges. The fabulously awkward dinner party that happens because of this is just more masterful writing.

Dex has always been in love with her and seeing her again knows that no one else will do for his duchess but Georgie, herself. He just has to find a way to persuade her that he won’t be the abusive tyrant her first husband was. He has to get her to choose to give up her independence, which she values very highly.

While we’ve seen very many of these tropes before, this book is all about the ride. Dexter is really committed to his profession and is really good at it and has a successful company to show for it. Georgie had a terrible marriage and is genuinely reluctant to marry again. But it’s all in the pleasure in the writing in this book. And the writing is so, so good.

Things are beautifully described. Emotions ring true. Nobody seems shallow or silly. Everyone is a realistic grown-up. Conflict arises naturally from real-life causes. It doesn’t seem contrived.
It’s a romance, you know there will be a happily ever after, but you really can just enjoy every minute of the journey to get there.

This prequel novella to the Duchess Society series is a stunning introduction. Childhood playmates 10 years later after a disastrous marriage for her and 10 years fossil hunting for him. He hires her to ostensibly provide him a wife to be by the twelfth day of Christmas but he wants to wed only her and she wants nothing to do with marriage. Lovely romantic wooing ensues in the skillful hands of this author which presages an excellent series to come. An enjoyable holiday read, perfectly timed for quick relaxation despite an abundance of holiday shopping and tasks. Enjoyable enough to reread during holidays to come.

I loved Georgina and Dex! The romance was beautiful as were the love scenes. As a science teacher I liked the geology references, they seemed accurate and believable. I got a little tired of Geogina’s reluctance but she groveled beautifully in the end. 5 stars.

Georgiana reminds me very much of Emma Woodhouse ('Emma', Jane Austen), seeking to match-make her friends and educating young girls about the expectations of being a lady. I loved that she didn't immediately return to Dexter but approached their relationship much more carefully and rationally. I do wish, however, we would have seen more of their friendship to really enjoy their blossoming relationship. It was often mentioned how close they used to be but we never saw evidence of that.

Short and sweet, yet exquisitely written. It was hard to not love these two from the very beginning. Both main characters are unconventional to say the least, but both are still trapped in the society from which they were born. And yet, they both found themselves within their independence, stubbornness and desire to have more than just titles.

Georgiana is a blue-stocking (and a Countess) and Dexter is a geologist (set to inherit a Dukedom). Georgiana leds The Duchess Society to help other innocent young women take control of their marriages and prepare them for what she thought was the only possibility for any women - a loveless marriage. Both these two learn a thing or two about love in this prequel and it was an absolute joy to read!

I look forward to reading more of Tracy Sumner and her Duchess Society!

I love a good historical romance and this one was good.

Georgiana Whitcomb is known to the Ton as the Ice Countess, she is rebellious and refuses to marry again. Her childhood friend the future Duke of Markham, Dexter Munro needs a bride by the end of Christmas as he promised his dying father.
The only woman he has ever desired vows to never marry again.
Dexter has just two weeks to melt the Ice Countesses heart and get her to agree to marry him.

This was a quick enjoyable read, it was different to other historical romances as the couple already knew that they loved each other and I loved that about the story.
I really liked Dexter and how he chased after Georgiana.
Fantastic second chance romance.

I loved this book! I know it's just a prequel but I wish it had been longer because I could not get enough. I cannot wait until the first full book comes out to read more. And I'll definitely be checking out her back catalog too.

4 stars

This is a novella, a prequel to the Duchess Society series.

The widowed countess Georgina runs a school of sorts to groom young gals to be strong ladies of the ton and ordi are them to not just be wives but true partners in A relationship. She meets the Marquess of Westfield her former friend (whom she had silently loved) who needs to marry having made a promise to his dying father, tte Duke.

The relationship and their subsequent marriage to each other is the story. Short and sweet and holds promise to the upcoming series.

I have not read the series yet, so I wondered if I would enjoy reading this book without knowing anything about the characters. “The Ice Duchess” turned out a quick, fun read and made me excited to read the series someday.

Firstly, I admired how the author wrote both the leads. Both Dex and Georgina are distinctive and bring their own to the tale. I particularly adored Dex and how he tries to win Georgina’s affections. It was beautiful to see how they reminisce about their past and reform a friendship. Similarly, Georgina is a complex character as she finds herself broken and builds a wall around her. I liked how the author wrote about her past and how living as a widow changed her perception of romance.

Moreover, the two also share some beautiful moments as Georgina tries to get over her feelings from her first marriage. Some of the memorable moments in the story for me were the Christmas scenes and the five days they spend together before heading back to London. The author has a lovely talent for romance, and I enjoyed the chemistry between the two characters. I also liked the supporting characters like Sophia and Hildy.

Overall, “The Ice Duchess” is a lovely historical romance that you can read even as a standalone. It is also a quick read as it is short and focuses on the liaison between the two leads without unnecessary drama.

I absolutely enjoyed this book. Well written, the characters are endearing and sweet, and surprisingly complex for a fast moving story. If I had to say one negative thing about the book, it would be that the reason that the heroine can't be with the main character is not what I thought it would be.

Ice Countes, Georgiana Whitcomb, Countess Winterbourne has been married once and never wants to marry again, but return brother’s friend may just be the one to change her mind. Dexter Munro, soon to be Duke of Markham has regrets of not speaking up when Georgie was married off to a lecherous old man, maybe he can now make amends. He’s promised his father a bride before he dies and he’ll try anything to convince Georgian to marry him. An enchanting story of two childhood friends betting reacquainted and finding they have a second chance at love and happiness. I voluntarily read and reviewed this extraordinary story.

SHORT AND SWEET 2ND CHANCE HISTORICAL ROMANCE

Second chance romances are some of my favourite! So I was obviously into this novella from the beginning. Georgiana and Dex had a sweet relationship, with both of them knowing, that they could only truly be themselves with the other. In this story, Dex was the one who who knew, that Georgiana was the one he wanted. That is something I don't see a lot in HR and I really liked it. Their relationship was sweet and progressed nicely. There was one thing, whoever, that I did not understand. Why did people call Georgie the 'Ice Duchess'? I didn't see anything icy in her personality, her countenance or her behavior. It jarred a bit. But other than that, this was a sweet, easily read story that makes me want to continue this series.

Dexter Munro has made a promise to his dying father that he will find a wife by the Twelfth Night. Soon to be the Duke of Markham, Dexter wants nothing more than to follow his passion of geology and Georgiana Whitcomb, the sister of his once best friend. Now the widowed Countess Winterbourne, Georgina is also known as the Ice Countess. She has always loved Dexter, even whilst a young girl but her childhood obsession may soon become a reality.
The chemistry between the couple was undeniable yet Georgina fights it for the near entirety of the story. I loved Dexter’s character and his determination to fight for Georgina and I could understand her reluctance to remarry. However, I could not quite understand how she resisted the attraction when they were so good together. I do wish that there could have been more of a background story between them, in their younger days and even more about Georgiana’s brother. Overall, this is a great start to the series, and I look forward to more books to come.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Tracy Sumner did a wonderful job with this quick, sweet book. The growth of the relationship from friendship to more was sweet to read and I really enjoyed the way they treated one another. My only complaint is that I wish some of the plot points were fleshed out more. The stories from their childhood came in pieces that were basically all the same. Sumner also eluded to a lot of things, or mentioned them briefly and then we didn't get to see what they were. Georgie's previous marriage for example is described as being stuck with a cruel man who left her to her own devices. I wish we had been able to see a little more from this because until the end there was no allusion to him being cruel, just uninterested in her. If we had seen some of this earlier, her actions would've made a lot more sense. Georgie is also called the "Ice Countess" but we don't see her interact with anyone but Dex. She also has a Society that she founded that I think could've been incredibly interesting and exciting but she only tells us about it briefly and never see her with any of her students. Overall I just wish there had been more to the book. It was sweet and quick, but it had so much more potential. Hopefully we'll see some more in Sumner's future books in this series.