I totally enjoyed this story! I love a heroine with unique talents and Lady Katherine has them in abundance. Lord Ian, partners with her uncle in a textile enterprise, makes a promise to Katherines' uncle prior to his death that he will marry her. This book has it all, blackmail, suspense, intrigue and murder. LOVED IT!
Thank you Ruth A. Casie, Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

Murder, Mayhem, and Romance

A man fights a duel for seemingly no reason at all, and he dies without a shot getting fired, but why, and how exactly did he die then? It’s a mystery with conspiracy and treachery at its core. Before his death, Bennett exacts a promise from his partner, the duke, to marry his niece. Could Ian convince Katherine to marry him? He’d have to tell her of the promise first, something he is reluctant to do. Then again, they both must survive the treachery and the danger that stalks them. Who killed Katherine’s uncle, and was she and Ian next on the murder menu? I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to those who like a historical romance with a murder mystery.

Ms. Casie has penned yet another intriguing novel with this third installment of The Ladies of Sommer by the Sea. Filled with mystery, romance, and suspense, this is one story I could not put down. It captured my attention from the start and kept me engrossed till the end. Katherine was a lovely and intelligent character. She was brave and loyal and everyone at Sommer by the Sea adored her. Wallace was a soldier, and with his brother and father both gone, has been thrust into dukedom. Katherine's uncle, Bennett, asks Wallace to marry his niece. He agrees but has no idea Katherine has no intention of marrying. Bennett is later murdered by use of snake venom, and when Wallace returns to Sommer by the Sea with his body, Katherine does not trust him let alone want to marry him. It is not until they must work together to find out who murdered her uncle that trust develops and feelings begin to blossom. The characters were well-developed and intriguing and the story was well-crafted with an interesting plotline. This was a great story and a wonderful addition to the series.
Thank you to Dragonblade Publishing and Netgalley for providing a complimentary copy. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Having read the other books in this series, I was delighted to receive an advanced copy of The Lady and her Duke. The ladies and gents of Sommer by the Sea constantly entertain and this third book in the series does not disappoint. Lady Katherine is our heroine and a feisty independent lady- with unique talents which include lock picking as a hobby! Her uncle is partners with Lord Ian Wallace in a manufacturing venture, set at a time of unrest over the threat of modernisation to the workers this story carries a strong social message as to the fear of poverty in a rural setting. Ruth Casie writes with confidence and empathy for her characters, and has a good grasp of rural England during the Industrial Revolution. I have no hesitation in recommending this series of books. Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the Author for this advance copy.

Lord Ian Wallace, Duke of Blackhall retired from the army became a partner in a textile factory. Some factories of that time are hot beds of unrest from the workers. The death of his partner leads our hero to unlock many mysteries.

Lady Katherine Thornton has no interest in society or marriage she is much happier working with her uncle at the textile factory. She has many skills, some that nobody knows.

This historical romance is full of dangerous people and we have a murder mystery to solve. Our hero is much more enlightened than most men of his time and our heroine is fearless and brave.

A very exciting story. I loved it.

The Lady and Her Duke by Ruth A Casie is another of the series, Ladies of Sommer-by-the-Sea. Lord Ian Wallace is in attendance when his partner, Bennett Sutton, took his last breath. They had been dueling but Ian had not fired a shot. But then, he did not die from a shot. Before he died Bennett made him promise to marry his niece, Ivy-Rose, which he did, reluctantly. The doctor said Bennett would recover from his wound, but who had shot him? When they went later to check on him they, found him dead with blood seeping from all his orifices. The doctor diagnosed poisoning, from a poisonous snake found in South America. Now Ian had to go tell his young niece, as well as see a lawyer to undo the IOU for half of his house, that Ian had reluctantly accepted from an ill-fated card game with Bennet the night before. Imagine his surprise when he saw the announcement of his betrothal in the newspaper and again when he discovered that Ivy-Rose was not a schoolgirl, but a beautiful young woman.

They were partners in a cloth mill and factory. It was unique in that it was dependent on machinery, rather than human labor. There was plenty of that, too, and the employees were happy: well-paid and well taken care of. Katherine (Ivy-Rose) was brilliant and beautiful, both, and it actually didn’t take much time for Ian to fall in love. Probably longer for Katherine, but they had a fight on their hands and they didn’t know with whom they were fighting. It made it hard. It was a good plot with a plethora of twists and turns and other good characters, may of whom we’ve met in earlier books. It was the dawn of the industrial revolution and people were frightened, and of course, greedy. Very interesting read.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Lady and Her Duke by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #dragonblade #ruthacasie #theladyandherduke

What an adventure this has been. First a strange murder, a duke’s promise to care for a child, and then a wonderful tale of the Knight Templars. All of this rolled into a superb, exciting adventure that places Lady Katherine Thornton and Lord Ian Wallace, the 4th Duke of Blackhall, together to solve a mystery. I found this to be a page turning escapade and enjoyed it to its conclusion. Thank you for a wonderful tale for us to enjoy.

This is the third book in The Ladies of Sommer by the Sea series, a Regency Romance. You can read it as a standalone. I love this series. Lady Katherine Thornton (Ivy-Rose) and Lord Ian Wallace's story is well written and captivating. Ian, a retired military officer, is very handsome and protective. Katherine is beautiful, smart, and independent. I loved to follow them in this intriguing journey. The storyline is filled with mystery, danger, and twists and turns. There is a lot going on in this story. I enjoyed it.

The Lady and Her Duke is the third book in The Ladies of Sommer by the Sea, but it can be read as a standalone. I don't know why anyone would not want to read the full series though, as they are all great stories. Lord Ian Wallace has made a vow to his partner and friend Bennett Sutton to marry his niece and take care of her. He agrees, assuming that he will be her guardian until she is of age and -make sure she marries well. What he doesn't know is that Ivy-Rose is a beautiful, intelligent woman who has no desire to marry after her disastrous season in London. When it is determined that Sutton was murdered, poisoned with snake venom, Wallace returns to Sommer by the Sea with his body. Lady Katherine Thornton, Ivy-Rose to her uncle, knows nothing of the vow and does not trust Lord Wallace, at least not at first. Will they find out who murdered Bennett Sutton? Will Lady Katherine and Lord Wallace be able to find romance?

This was such a great story. It had a mystery, adventure, some folklore, romance and more. Katherine was an amazing character. She was extremely intelligent, especially when it came to the mechanicals that were being used to industrialize the textile factory owned by Wallace and now her. She was also brave, plucky and was not afraid to wield a sledge hammer if she needed to. She was loyal and loved by everyone in Sommer by the Sea. Wallace was a soldier that ended up a duke when his father and brother were killed. He wanted to do good with his money and was working to make sure the factory workers had a good life. He was also intelligent, strong, handsome, loyal and a great fighter, which came in handy more than once. The secondary characters were all fleshed out as well and played important parts in the story. Of course there was a villain and I did not figure it out until almost the end. I enjoyed the romance between Ian and Kate. It had constant ups and downs, but the chemistry was there from the start. During this time in history women were still considered chattel by many and needed to be kept in their place, but I loved that Ian was so enlightened and this allowed Katherine/Kate to show the amazing skills she had. I am thoroughly enjoying this series and each book amazes me. This book is well-written, has great characters and an interesting plot. Each of the main female characters has a gift or talent that plays an important part in the plot and I am looking forward to seeing who Ruth A. Casie features in the next book and what their talent is. If you enjoy a good historical romance with intrigue, then I definitely recommend you pick this book up, it is a wonderfully entertaining story.

4 stars

A good story. Interesting murder mystery at the start with the hero promising to marry his business partners niece. He thinks she is a child instead she is a beautiful intelligent engineer,

It takes them some time to sort out the culprit and then sort out both the murder and the romance.

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

Lord Ian Wallace has made a vow that he is not sure if the other party will be willing.  Lady Katherine Thornton, however knows nothing of the vow and does everything she knows to show how independent she is.
This was not a typical romance. Instead its filled with intrigue and soft glimpses. This is a clean clean read I thoroughly enjoyed. I didnt realize it until I was leaving my review that I had read the first two books of this series. So all that to say enjoy this book then purchase the others to enjoy also! :)

I recieved a free copy so that I can tell you what I honestly think. Hope you enjoyed my review. Now go enjoy the book.

Mystery, legends, and romance are the key factors in this engrossing novel, as Lord Ian Wallace sets out to discover who murdered his business partner and to placate the young girl he has promised to protect. Only the young girl is not as young as he thought, bringing a lighthearted aspect to the plot. In a time of change, unrest abounds as factions fight against the introduction of machinery in factories and workers fear for their livelihood. Ian has to find a way to explain the promises he made to Kate's uncle, but Kate has some explaining of her own to do. They are both living with secrets and it is only when the truth is revealed, that they can find a way forward. Crimes have been committed and the tension mounts as the book comes to a conclusion, bringing justice for more than one crime. I received a copy of this intriguing book as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

The story was ok though I did think it was a bit confusing. I think it is because there is just so much going on. The romance angle just didn’t keep my interest.
The murder mystery part of the story was intriguing.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was looking forward to reading this but unfortunately, it did not live up my expectations. There didn't seem much romance at all and the mystery of who killed Bennet didn't seem to be solved so much as finding the answer by accident. There were no clue following as such and most could have been solved if there were not so many lies and secrets between Ian and Katherine kept. I found there were too many side characters to keep track of that detracted from the story. It was the worst of the 3 stories and not the best ending to the series. My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Murder, a mystery, angst, a hero who made a promise to a dying man and the heroine who has no idea! A lot happening in the third installment in this entertaining series!

When his business partner lays dying, he promises to take take care, ie marry his niece. He does not realize she is a grown, beautiful woman.

But a lot is hidden and the truth needs to come out, but it seems there are a lot of secrets!

A complicated mystery that will keep you trying to figure out the ending!!

Lady Katherine Thornton has no interest in men after an indiscretion at her disastrous Season in London. No man can be trusted. Instead, she indulges in her fascination for gears and all things mechanical. Her unique drafting skill is an asset to her uncle Bennett Sutton, who is automating his textile factory. She doesn't need anything else. Lord Ian Wallace, the fourth Duke of Blackhall, is a retired military officer. An accidental duke after the deaths of his father and brother, he retreats from society and the mothers and debutantes who stalk him. He’s focused all his energy on his partnership with Sutton. He’s satisfied and needs nothing else. An oath to marry, a family legend to preserve, an uprising of the factory workers, and Sutton’s murder, throw Katherine and Wallace together to find a blackmailer and murderer.
The third book in the series & by far more a mystery than romance. A well written but there’s a lot happening so much so that I was confused at times & had to reread parts several times. I did like both Katherine & Ian but I didn’t feel much sexual chemistry between them. I did enjoy the mystery & became invested in it but wanted a but more romance to balance
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

When I read the blurb of this book, I was excited to read it, but unfortunately, it did not live up to the hype.. I was not invested in either Ian or Katherine and the mystery of who killed Bennet seemed convoluted at best. There was so much going on between the lies and secrets both Ian and Katherine kept, that it was hard to route for either of them. I found there were too many side characters to keep track of that detracted from the story.

Though it's not a terrible book, it just wasn't for me.

This plot has a lot going on. Competitive businesses, a duel, poison, an oath, murder, a sacred sword, a fire, a brawl that's almost a riot and most important, protecting Ivy-Rose. It gets a little confusing. As far as romance between Katherine and Wallace, only brief moments for a hug and a kiss and it's on again, off again gaining trust between them. There are a couple of crazies for villains that are disturbing, but overall it felt a little anticlimactic at the end. If you enjoy murder mysteries, this may be more your cup of tea.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. We have an intrepid, intelligent heroine and a soldier-turned Duke who are paired up to investigate murder and other mysterious happenings about the industry that the heroine’s uncle has built with the financial help of the Duke.

There was a lot going on in the novel. I like historical mysteries with a side of romance so I was quite prepared to enjoy this. But I never got into it. The characters weren’t all that well-drawn and the mystery never gripped me.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.