Set in the Regency era, the story revolves around Charlotte, who is seeking adventure and intrigue in her mundane life after her debut season in London. Her wish is granted when Laurence Lindley, the Marquess of Glendarvon, arrives in the country, bringing with him a mystery that sparks Charlotte's curiosity.

As Charlotte navigates the complexities of her brother's request to not interrogate the marquess directly, she finds herself drawn to Laurence and his enigmatic past. Their blossoming relationship is tested as Charlotte's investigation uncovers old grudges and secrets, forcing Laurence to confront his own past.

Ashford's storytelling shines in this novel, with well-developed characters and a plot that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. Looking forward to the next in the series!

(I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review)

Charlotte Deeping was determined not to marry as her parents wanted her to until she was reacquainted with the Marquess of Glendarvon, Laurence. The Marquess was a school friend of her brother's who came to visit him for a hunting party. The Marquess has a tragic childhood that he doesn't talk about but he shares a bit of it with Charlotte and she is determined to find out what truly happened to him and his parents. As they are investigating the Marquess' past, a series of accidents occur which lead them to uncover past secrets. As they are working together, Laurence and Charlotte find it harder than ever to deny the attraction they have for each other. Although there wasn't any steam in the story, the actual plot was enough to keep me engaged to find out how it would end. I am on to the next story in the series.
I received this story as an ARC from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review

Jane Ashford always pens stories that you want to keep reading… Charlotte and Laurence’s story moves at a pace that easily draws you into their world. I recommend this great read!

A Gentleman Ought to Know by Jane Ashford is a must read! I’m a huge fan of Jane Ashford, I’ve always enjoyed her books and this one is no different. Great storyline, fast paced, good dialogue!

This was a somewhat usual setup made a lot more interesting by engaging characters and good writing.

This is the fourth book of The Duke's Estates and can be easily read as a standalone. The story was interesting with a little bit of mystery and intrigue added in with the romance to make this a delightful read. After having an unsuccessful Season, Charlotte is now back home and is feeling lonely, with all of her friends now married. She would always seek out and solve mysteries with them, and she is at a loss of what to do now. That is until Laurence, the Marquess of Glendarvon, shows up and provides her with quite an interesting one. With a renewed sense of purpose, she begins her sleuthing, and as she starts to unravel clues, she also starts to discover clues to her future. A future that just may include Laurence.
A very sweet and charming story! The characters were lovely and I enjoyed seeing them together and their relationship grow. The chemistry between them was great, and their slow-burning romance was sweet. I also enjoyed seeing the relationship between Charlotte and her family as well as with her friends. The interactions and banter between them was loving and fun, and gave me a warm feeling. A wonderful addition to the series!
I received a complimentary copy from Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I have been provided with a review copy of A Gentleman Ought to Know from NetGalley for an impartial review. Oh my gosh this story was just epic. I just couldn’t put this story down and I was just captivated by everything that was taking place. The author truly outdid herself with this story. This story just had my emotions all over the place and I am so sad to see this book end. I just can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

So Charlotte's back from her first season in London and trying to hang with her newlywed buds, but it's not really working out. She's feeling pretty lost until she meets Laurence, who's a buddy of her bro. Laurence's folks got killed and he's hell-bent on finding out who did it. Lucky for him, Charlotte's got a knack for solving mysteries, so she's all in to help him out. The case is a real doozy, though, since it's decades old. But Charlotte and Laurence make a killer team and their slow-burn romance just adds to the whole shebang.

The supporting cast is awesome, too. Charlotte's family is a hoot and they're all about the love, while her friends are just as wild and crazy. They've all got great chemistry and their back-and-forth is so fun, it's like you're right there with them. And that's a nice break from the dark, twisted murder mystery that Charlotte and Laurence are working on. But, hey, the more the merrier, right? The whole gang's on the case now, so things are just getting started.

This is an author I enjoy! Her romances are so sweet and the characters are great! I liked that this one also had a mystery in there! Charlotte and Laurence had great chemistry and banter! I like that Charlotte was outspoken. She becomes invested in helping Laurence find out more spout his parents death. I also really adored Charlotte’s brothers. They were murdered! It was a fun sweet slow burn read! I’m looking forward to what’s next from this author.

as someone who has been stuck in a historical romance binge for longer than i could possibly admit, this one totally fed right into my favorite tropes! i think Jane is becoming a new fave author and i cant wait to see what comes next from her. seriously impressed! also loved the little bits with cecilia and the duke. its so nice circling back to the reason for the series

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

After her first season, Miss Charlotte Deeping has returned home. Her friends have all married and being with her brothers again makes her miss the camaraderie of her friends, and the mysteries they've solved. So when her brother's friend, Laurence Lindley, the Marquess of Glendarvon, arrives for a visit, Charlotte is ready to help him discover the truth about his past. Laurence became Marquess at a young age, and he can't remember much about his past, or why his parents were murdered. As they get close to the truth, and the danger that comes with it, it seems that they have more in common than they ever expected.

I've loved the other books in this series, and always knew that they were a great story in line for Charlotte, and I was more than right. I loved the relationships she had with all of the characters, both main and secondary. Her family were great, and they cared for each other so much. Charlotte and Laurence's relationship was wonderful from start to finish. They formed a real friendship first, and got to know each other, when the romantic feelings started to develop. My favourite character, however, has got to be Merlin, who was amazing. Honestly, if there was a spin off just for him, I'd read it! A great addition to The Duke's Estates series, and I look forward to the next one!

This was mixed, I liked the characters and the general story but the romance wasn't strong enough for me to recommend as a romance book

I enjoyed the romance between Laurence and Charlotte. His attraction to her was a gradual but insistent beginning. The mystery of his parents death provided a nice opportunity for Charlotte to show her true self and be appreciated for who she is. She is a mystery loving, independent woman who strives only to be accepted as herself. What I truly loved though was the family loyalty, all the interactions with the Deeping family show that she has always been accepted and loved even if she didn’t always realize it. A very nice story

Very sweet romance with the ideal amount of mystery. I enjoyed Charlotte and Laurence's journey to love, though I did find the chemistry dull at times but otherwise you'll find the mystery part quite intriguing. This was my first read from this author and I'll be looking forward to read more of her work in the future.

This was an okay read. It didn't really stand out for me. I didn't hate it but it didn't stick with me. Charlotte is not the most likable character and the story drags in the middle half. My heart went out to Laurence, no child should have to go through what he did and I can see why he doesn't want to talk about it.

This book is something I would recommend if you like a quiet hero and intrusive heroine.

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

I'm giving this 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

This was my first book by Jane Ashford. I'm reading this series out of order. A Gentleman Ought to Know is the fourth installment. I didn't have a problem following anything, and I'm intrigued to read books 1-3.

I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the story very much, but found the romance a little lacking. I didn't always understand why Lawrence liked Charlotte. At times, she was discourtious to him through no fault of his own.

This was a clean romance, which I usually don't mind a fade to black style, but this one has nothing beyond a kiss.

It truly felt more like a mystery with a side of romance than a romance with a side of mystery. I like mysteries, so I enjoyed it, but if that isn't your thing, then you might want to skip this one.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.

This is such a lovely, sweeping romance - I'd classify it as slow burn with a low heat rating but it doesn't make the book any less interesting.

Laurence and Charlotte fall into a beautiful respectful relationship with each other despite the differences in their characters, and over time, learn to see each other and themselves in a different light.

I loved Charlotte's over protective brothers who added humour to the story.

A truly enchanting read,

This was a quintessential Jane Ashford - this sweet Regency historical romance also has a mystery that the heroine decides she must solve.

I liked this one much better than the previous book. It was fun to see old characters be part of the story. And it was fun to have the added mystery. I give this book a sold 3.5 stars


Thank you Jane Ashford and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

A Gentleman Ought to Know is the fourth book in The Duke's Estates series. While it could be read as a stand alone, there were a lot of side characters that made appearances that I'm sure had larger roles in other novels.

I just had a hard time getting into this slow burn story, more mystery than romance. Laurence, a marquess, is a cinnamon roll. Which is not a bad type of hero, but Charlotte and her "prickly" personality over powered him. He was likable. She was not. It just didn't keep my attention.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and freely given.