“𝐼 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁, 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓂𝑒 𝒷𝒶𝒸𝓀 𝑜𝓇 𝓃𝑜𝓉. 𝑅𝓊𝓃𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓌𝑜𝓃’𝓉 𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓅 𝒶 𝒹𝒶𝓂𝓃𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔.”

This book was lovely. Duchess Camille’s backstory was absolutely devastating but I appreciated the domestic and emotional abuse representation. I loved Jacob’s patience and tenderness with her throughout the story - this man is a GEM.💎
The tension and spice was impeccable and the plot was so wholesome. If you like historical romance, with a strong female lead working through trauma, the sexiest but sweetest MMC, with a “you came… you called” type moment and a fake fiancé trope, this book is for you! I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. Highly recommend.

Synopsis:

Despite her illustrious title, Camille, Duchess of Hereford, remains what she has always been—a pariah. Though her title means she’s technically accepted by London Society, the rebellious widow with her burgeoning interest in the suffrage movement and her American ways isn’t exactly high on every hostess’s guest list. But Camille starts to wonder if being an outcast is not without its perks when the tantalizing answer to her secret fear appears in the shape of Jacob Thorne, the illegitimate son of an earl and co-owner of London’s infamous Montague Club.
 
Jacob is used to making deals with his club members—he’s just not accustomed to them being beautiful women. Nor have the terms ever been so sweetly seductive as Camille’s shocking proposition. To finally buy his own club and gain the crucial backing of investors, Camille offers Jacob the respectability of a fake engagement with a duchess. In return, the tempting widow has one condition: she wants Jacob to show her if it’s possible for her to experience pleasure in bed.
 
The lure of such a bargain proves too delicious to resist, drawing the enterprising rogue and the wallflower duchess into a scandalous game and an even more dangerous gamble of the heart.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘉𝘦𝘳𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱, 𝘕𝘦𝘵 𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘵. 𝘎𝘦𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

I've enjoyed the whole series and was excited to read this one - a friend to the original heroines/sisters who has her own sad backstory but who finally gets her own HEA.

They say that reformed rakes make excellent husbands and that is true in this story -- Jacob is unashamed of his illegitimacy and lives his life to its fullest. Even Camille knows he is very popular with women but as it turns out, it's to her benefit because Jacob understands women and is the one man who can help Camille the most.

That they fall in love is just icing on the cake!

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for the advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

I have had such a fun time with this series and was extremely excited that Camille was getting her own story! She absolutely went through it in the first 3 books - getting married off to a terrible man, suffering emotional, sexual, and mental abuse, and then finding her husband dead with his mistress.

No one deserved an HEA more than her.

On top of that, this book had some of my all time favorite tropes - friends to lovers, sex lessons, fake engagement, etc.

And while I enjoyed this romance overall, I felt like it underdelivered.

There were so many good themes and elements, but it almost felt as though a few too many were added and because of that none of them quite got the dedication I was hoping for.

The fake engagement is sooo underutilized. It's mentioned maybe twice and Camille almost never had to actually act in a fiancée way. Sex lessons is possible my favorite romance trope, and while it delivered that, I wanted MORE.

Camille is suffering so much PTSD from her previous marriage. And finds herself shutting down whenever she is touched intimately. But I felt as though it was overcome a little too quickly with Jacob. I wanted more small moments before the big all in.

One thing I do appreciate about this series overall, is the way it addresses women's rights at this time. Camille uses the small amount of freedom widowhood has offered her to become part of the suffragette movement.

And knowing how the Married Women's Property Act eventually works out, it was really fascinating watching that unfold.

Overall, I think Harper St George's historical romances are fantastic. She uses so many good tropes mixed with the inherent pining of the genre while still giving voice to issues of the time. While this wasn't my favorite of the series, I'm really excited to see what she does next - in the world or otherwise!

Em The Duchess Takes a Husband a autora Harper St. George nos entregou um romance de época de uma mulher que sofreu v10lencia do marido que era duque e acabou tendo muitos traumas por conta disso. Até que ela resolve pedir a Jacob Thorne, um notório bastardo para ensinar-lhe a ter prazer na cama.
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Esse foi o meu primeiro contato com a escrita dessa autora e eu não poderia estar mais feliz de ter conhecido ela. Com uma narrativa que aborda as margens da sociedade Londrina, Harper St. George entregou um casal por quem torcer e uma mocinha que você só quer que seja feliz.
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Camile é uma das herdeiras americanas que casaram com algum homem da nobreza inglesa para elevar a reputação da família. Em troca de dinheiro muitos nobres tomaram moças americanas em matrimônio. A maioria desses casamentos não deu certo. Esse foi o caso de Camile, que se tornou uma duquesa, mas que era humilhada pelo marido constantemente. Agora que se tornou viúva tudo que ela quer é liberdade e pretende encontrar isso nos braços de Jacob Thorne.
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Jacob também vem de um contexto bem específico na sociedade. Sua mãe era amante de um nobre, que a amava e desprezava a esposa. Seu lar era feliz, dentro do possível, mas a mãe nunca foi aceita na sociedade e o pai apenas tolerava os filhos. O casal era bem autocentrado no amor que sentiam um pelo outro e sobrava poucos para aqueles ao seu redor.
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Camile e Jacob querem provar que podem ficar livres desses estigmas que a sociedade Londrina colocou neles e acabam encontrando consolo um no outro.
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Ver a jornada de Camile para superar a viol3nc14 que sofreu e encontrar um novo propósito na sua vida foi uma jornada bem legal de acompanhar. A autora ainda abordou um movimento que começou no inicio do século XX, que foi a luta das mulheres por mais direitos.
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Enfim, é um ótimo romance de época.

Another winner in the Gilded Age Heiresses series. Camille completely stole the show in this book. She's hurt, she's vulnerable, but she's stronger than she realizes and determined to take control of her life. Jacob, who is kind and honorable and already something of a friend makes a perfect match for her. St. George does a great job portraying Camille's fears and her slow progress toward conquering them. Her feelings of safety with Jacob increase steadily and believably, as does their friendship. I could personally have done without Jacob's "I refuse to fall in love. Love is terrible." attitude, but that's a particular pet peeve of mine. I was also extremely pleased with the character and relationship development between Camille and her mother, and with the friendships between the men and the women. Camille's interest in women's rights and suffrage was excellently depicted -- a great glimpse at the history of the era and also an important reminder of the work we are still doing today.
Well worth a read. I look forward to what Harper St. George will bring us next.

This is the fourth and final book in The Gilded Age Heiresses series(all of them standalones) and I'd been quite excited for Camille's story because she definitely deserves a HEA after everything that she's been through!

Camille is the recently widowed Dowager Duchess of Hereford, and after an unfulfilling and abusive marriage to a duke who was well into his 50s, she's ready to live for herself now. And she engages in some small rebellions by doing some things she'd never have done before and the latest one on her list is to get some lessons in pleasure(due to her past and personal issues) and she decides that Jacob Thorne - the illegitimate son of an earl and one of the owners of Montague Club - is the right man for the job. Though Jacob says no to her proposition at first, a business venture for which he wants investment is on the rocks because of his reputation, so he ends up saying that he's engaged!😆 And he asks Camille to pose as his fake fiancee in return for giving her what she wants. Very convenient I know.🤣

Actually for a book with a premise like this it was more slow burn than I was expecting it to be! And this was perfect here because it helped Camille become more confident and showed us how patient and sweet Jacob was! I loved watching Camille come back to life and regain her confidence! Despite the duke's death, she's still controlled by his heir financially and she needs to break free from these restraints too. Camille also gets involved in the women's suffrage movement and this has her discovering new things about herself too! Jacob was so understanding and patient while being protective too! These two were perfect for each other! And I've got to say that the Gilded Age is one of my favorite time periods in historical romance along with the Regency Era! And the snippet at the end from the author's next book has me very excited for that one too!
Give this one a try if you're in the mood for an amazing and satisfying historical romance! ❣️✨

Yesss, I love a historical romance where a woman asks a man to teach her what she's been missing. This had a Sarah MacLean One Good Earl Deserves a Lover vibe. There is no higher compliment.

Even though The Lady Tempts an Heir wraps the series up nicely, I thought this book was a great addition. When I saw I was approved for the eARC, I squealed because I love this series so much! This one follows two of the side characters from the previous book. It had lessons and a fake engagement; do I need to say more? It was a very good read and I definitely recommend.

I love this authors writing style, and this book was no exception. The characters were very likable, and I loved seeing how they understood each other when others didn't. Camille had a lot to work through in this one since she was in an abusive relationship in the past, but Jacob was a perfect match for her after he got over the fact that he didn't want to fall in love. I enjoyed both of their character growth throughout. Also, did I see a tease for another series that's a spin-off for this one at the end?? Because if there was one, I'd be here for it!

The Duchess Takes a Husband, which, I’m guessing is the fourth and final book in The Gilded Age Heiresses series, features the much-anticipated story of Camille, the widowed Duchess of Hereford. The first book in the series, The Heiress Gets a Duke, actually opens with the engagement party of Camille and the Duke of Hereford and it’s made immediately clear that this is nothing more than a transactional marriage where the Duke of Hereford gets much needed cash to support his financially declining dukedom and Camille’s parents, while undoubtedly wealthy but with the stigma attached to the nouveau riche, gets some much needed social capital by way of a newly minted Duchess for a daughter.

Each of the three books preceding it gives us a glimpse of the Duchess of Hereford and while the scenes are brief, it is enough to ascertain that the marriage between the Duke and Duchess of Hereford is toxic and abusive. While Camille’s friends, the Crenshaw sisters, go on to find suitably titled husbands and yet, also manage to marry for love, Camille is left trapped in an unhappy marriage, not of her own choosing.

This book opens with Camille widowed, finally free from the clutches of her marriage and determined to retain her own freedom. While she’s widowed, the memories of her unhappy marriage and her abusive late husband threaten to mire her in the past. Refusing to allow the past to hold her hostage, Camille finds herself drawn to Jacob, who has also been briefly featured in previous books and is the illegitimate second son of an earl and the brother of the hero of the second book in the series, The Devil and the Heiress.

Jacob, co-owner of one of London’s most notorious clubs, is determined that love is not for him. Having seen what it did to his own family, he stays away from forming emotional attachments and prefers to keep his relationships strictly superficial. When Camille decides she wants to embark on a purely physical affair with Jacob to finally lay her past demons to rest and find out how to achieve sexual satisfaction, the two begin an affair that is meant to be only sex but quickly turns to more despite their best intentions. In exchange for Jacob schooling Camille on matters of sex, Camille agrees to pretend to be Jacob’s fiancée for the sake of finalizing a business deal. Fake engagement isn’t necessarily my favorite trope and for much of the book, I kept expecting Camille and Jacob’s jig to be up because it really felt like they had not prepared in any way to conduct themselves as an engaged couple in public.

One of the things that really fascinated me about this book is the way the author approaches the idea of trust and intimacy. While the book is definitely about Camille healing from the trauma of her first marriage and learning to find sexual release, it’s less about sex and more about Camille learning how to trust, first herself and then Jacob. It shouldn’t surprise anyone to know that the book is definitely a bit of a slow burn as it makes no sense for Camille and Jacob to jump into bed right away (though they do try and in a scene that is as hot as it is vulnerable and emotionally wrought, it’s Jacob who metaphorically and literally reveals himself and his desires). There is healing to be done for Camille before she can finally reach the climax that has so eluded her and it’s interesting but also right that the healing comes not just by way of Jacob’s tutelage but also by way of the suffrage movement Camille finds herself involved in. Her past marriage and the abuse she suffered at the hands of her late husband makes her uniquely qualified to speak on these matters and I think the book does a solid job of showing that while Camille might be searching for sexual healing, it can only truly occur once Camille has started to emotionally heal from her toxic marriage.

I wish the resolution at the end was a little bit more drawn out – it does feel a bit rushed and abrupt. However, there is a delightful epilogue at the end of the book that neatly ties together not just this book but really the whole series. While I’m sad to see this series come to a close, I’m so happy that Camille finally got her long-awaited happy ending and excited to see what this author has in store for us next.

Oh, I absolutely adored The Duchess Takes a Husband! Harper St George is a phenomenal author and easily transported me into the work of the Gilded Age Heiresses.

I haven't yet read the previous three books in this series, so the entire cast of characters were completely new to me. I went into this book with no knowledge of Camille or Jacob, but within moments of meeting both, I fell head over heels for them.

Camille had a difficult past, one that she spends the book trying to work through, and yet, she remains kindhearted, lovable, and herself. While learning to take back her independence, she approaches Jacob with an arrangement of sorts, and that's where their story really begins.

I don't want to go too much into the story since I think it's one that every historical romance lover should read! Instead, I'll simply say that St George's writing is amazing. She hooked me in from the very first sentence and left me wanting more with each chapter. In fact, my entire read of this book was spent with one thought in the back of my brain: I must go back to the beginning of this series! I need more!

Overall, I think anyone who enjoys historical romance or is new to the genre and would like a fun, easygoing entry into historical romance should read this book!

A sensual bargain is only the beginning of the tale in The Duchess Takes a Husband. Harper St. George wraps up her Gilded Age Heiresses series with American heiress Camille’s story. The widowed Duchess of Hereford is the survivor of an abusive marriage who is just beginning to find herself again. She wants to reclaim her life and oh, how I loved watching her do that. Whether it’s joining the Montague Club or becoming a member of the suffragette movement, Camille is no longer going to let society’s snobbery stop her. One of Camille’s goals is to find out if she can find pleasure in bed, and the man she wants to be her tutor is none other than Jacob Thorne. Jacob is the illegitimate son of an earl and the co-owner of the Montague Club. Jacob has had many advantages in life and he wants to know if he can accomplish something himself. His goal is to open a cabaret club in Paris without the assistance of his brother and his friend, but to do so his investors want him to have the respectability of a fiancée. He and Camille strike a bargain to their mutual benefit, but of course nothing is as simple as it seems…

Camille and Jacob have a slow burn romance that sizzles with sexual tension. Camille has suffered greatly in the past and the trauma she has to face makes things difficult for her. Jacob is patient, kind, and understanding. He never pressures Camille and is there for her when she needs it. But Jacob has baggage and he fears falling in love. As he and Camille grow closer both will need to face the ghosts of their past in order to claim a future together. St. George mixed healing with growth and it was lovely to watch Jacob and Camille’s journey. The two of them had excellent chemistry and the love scenes were worth the buildup. I adored these two together and was rooting for them every step of the way.

The Duchess Takes a Husband is the fourth book of the Gilded Age Heiresses series but I think it stands well on its own. I loved revisiting the Crenshaw siblings and their spouses and the friendships between all the characters were a delight. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Camille and Jacob’s love story and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what Harper St. George comes up with next!

After greatly enjoying the first three books in the Gilded Age Heiresses series, I was highly anticipating book 4! Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Married off to the much older (and horrible) Duke of Hereford by her wealthy American parents in exchange for a title, Camille has served as a cautionary tale for her friends in the earlier books in this series. Now widowed and finally free to follow her own desires, Camille sets out to answer a question with the help of Jacob Thorne. Worried something is wrong with herself because she has never experienced pleasure in the bedroom, and her armed with knowledge of rumors that Jacob is quite proficient at pleasing his female partners, Camille boldly makes a proposition. A fake engagement to add legitimacy to his business affairs… in exchange for bedroom lessons. But can they carry out these lessons without falling in love?

Man oh man. I wanted to love this one so much more than I did. Camille has been through SO much and there couldn’t possibly be a character that deserved a happily ever after more. I was so happy to see her FINALLY find this with Jacob. However, the journey to get there… was not my cup of tea.

Given Camille’s history with her late husband, the abuse he put her through, and the plot of wanting bedroom lessons because she’s unsure if she can actually experience pleasure… maybe I should have expected the world’s slowest burn. *Narrator voice* but expect it she did not. Don’t get me wrong, I can get behind a slow burn, and I understand given her history why Camille needed this time and space for healing… but as a reader, it left me a little bored and times and wanting more.

I went into this book looking for a spicy historical romance with a strong female lead, and while this book does fit this category, it did not fully fit my preferences for this genre. Though, as I stated above, it made sense for Camille’s storyline, the time spent working through her trauma, and coming to terms with the fact she had suffered from abuse, did not make for an enjoyable read for me when I was looking for something lighter.

Does a case of missed expectations mean this book was bad? By no means at all! What didn’t work for me, may very well work for other readers. Especially those who enjoy emotional depth and heavier topics alongside the romance in their novels.

Camille, the Dowager Duchess of Hereford is looking for a man to teach her how to enjoy sex. For the entirety of her marriage to the Duke of Hereford she did not enjoy sex as he felt that as she was an American she was beneath him and he only married her for her dowry. She approaches Jacob Thorne, the bastard son of an Earl, who is also her best friend's brother in law, regarding providing her with lessons on how to enjoy sex. He turns her down as he doesn't want to damage the relationship they have and does not think they will be able to keep it secret from their relatives/friends. After he is asked about his personal life from a potential investor in a business he wants to open in France, he has to ask Camille to pretend to be his fiance so that the investor will think he is more settled than he is and he won't be at risk of getting involved with the entertainment they will hire to perform at their establishment. Camille agrees to the pretend engagement as long as Jacob will provide the lessons she asked for initially. This was a very good book- sexy, romantic and a HEA. Now I have to go badk and finish her friend's Violet and August stories.

I received an ARC from Netgalley but I am voluntarily leaving a review

I have enjoyed The Gilded Age Heiresses series and was really looking forward to Camille's story - especially as we've seen how difficult she has had it in the past few books. Her relationship with her deceased husband was never easy and she is still dealing with the aftermath of his abuse.

When Camille sets her eyes on Jacob Thorne - owner of a gentlemen's club - she is positive that he is the one person to help her overcome her fears with intimacy. But Jacob isn't that easily swayed. Jacob has been around Camille long enough to know that the more time he spends with her the easier it will be for him to want more. And that isn't something he's interested in right now. He plans to open another club in Paris. Except...his partners don't think he's the right fit because he's deemed a playboy. They figure once he settles down he will be a better business partner. This is when Jacob proposes a fake engagement with Camille and in return he will give her lessons in bed.

This book was definitely spicy and I loved how sweet and caring Jacob was with Camille. I will admit, I didn't immediately feel the connection between Camille and Jacob. I wanted more angst or longing and didn't feel like I really got that with this couple.

Overall, I have enjoyed this series and really look forward to more books by Harper St. George!

Former “dollar princess” Camille Bridwell, is now the widowed Duchess of Hereford and finally free of her awful husband, and after the control and even abuse she suffered at the hands of her late husband, she has no desire to marry again – ever. However, she can’t stop wondering if there is something wrong with her because, unlike her dear friends Violet and August, she has never enjoyed physical intimacy. Since her husband’s death, she has tried to overcome her fear and revulsion but has not been successful. She then comes to the conclusion that she should try one more time, with a man that has reportedly satisfied many women, her friend Violet’s brother-in-law and co-owner of the Montague Club, Jacob Thorne. All she has to do is convince him to tutor her in the pleasures of the flesh, which surprisingly is harder than she expected!

Jacob Thorne, is the co-owner of the wildly successful Montague Club, the illegitimate son of the late Earl of Leigh, half-brother to the current Earl, as well as an established ladies' man. It is the last reason that has Camille seeking him out, an offer he regretfully declines, claiming it would be awkward when their affair ended. But that same reputation of being a lady’s man may cost him his dream of opening a Cabaret in Paris – a venture that he feels will prove he is capable of running a club, that he is not riding on his brother’s coattails. So when a potential investor is hesitant to commit to the venture as he believes that as a bachelor with a rakish reputation, Jacob will cause problems with the women in the club. To calm the man, Jacob claims to be engaged and hopes that he can convince Camille to play along with his ruse, knowing he will have to agree to her terms. Jacob has no desire to marry or fall in love, he believes that the men in his family become obsessive when they fall in love and refuses to follow in their footsteps, but being with Camille tests his resolve, and when he learns the truth of her marriage his feelings intensify – he tries to deny his deeper feelings and pushes her away, but when she is in danger he realizes that he loves her and hopes it is not too late to win her heart…forever.

This was such a great book! I was shocked to learn that the author never planned to write Camille’s story – OMG, I am so glad she did! The book is an emotional read, filled with triggers of emotional and sexual abuse – none of which happen on page and I truly felt the author handled these events with compassion and understanding. Camille slowly becomes comfortable with Jacob and is confused by his reaction to their growing intimacy. I loved seeing Camille find herself and share her experiences with other women, hoping to foster change. This story is filled with likable characters, emotional trauma, society’s prejudice, the real fight women waged for a voice; to be heard; and for equality, steamy love scenes, cameos from former characters, a bit of danger, a lovely declaration followed by a HEA, including an epilogue and the set up for a new series featuring some familiar faces!! This is the fourth and final book in this series, it can be read as a standalone title, but I would strongly recommend reading the books in order for the best reader experience. I loved this series and am happy to recommend this book and hope you love it as much as I did!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

Thank you @berkleypub for the advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

I LOVED this gilded age novel featuring Camille and Jacob! Duchess Camille is now a widow but was a “dollar princess,” a term I was unfamiliar with until I read the author’s note at the beginning of the book. These were women from “new money” families who were married off to a man of European nobility in hopes of raising the family’s status in society. Camille’s story was not a happy one prior to this.

She approaches Jacob for seduction and something that didn’t exist for her in her unhappy marriage. In turn, he proposes a fake engagement to help him secure financing - he is very single and his investors want someone more stable. Their relationship was caring, respectful, and swoony with magnet chemistry. I highly recommend it to fans of historical romance who like their stories steamy! This definitely will not be my last book by Harper St. James.

The Duchess Takes a Husband is the fourth novel in the Gilded Heiresses series by Harper St. George. It was one she didn’t intend to write, but one that fans asked for and shares the story of Camille, Duchess of Hereford. Swoons, second chances, and daring adventure await you in this sizzling tale.

The Heiress Gets A Duke introduced Camille as an American heiress who eventually became the Duchess of Hereford. It was not a happy union, and one of the other young heiresses didn’t care to repeat. But Camille is now a widow, and it’s time for her to spread her wings.

Camille’s experiences have been limited when she comes up with a plan to experience pleasure. She propositions Jacob Thorne to teach her the finer skills of lovemaking. Thorne is the illegitimate son of an earl and co-owner of London’s infamous Montague Club. Thorne noticed Camille from the start, but she isn’t the type one has a dalliance with and her close friends don’t help matters. His first instinct is to decline, but when he needs a fiance’ to seal a business deal, they come to an arrangement. I adore the arrangement trope and the tale that unfolds was sweet, sexy and filled with character growth.

I felt for Camille and admired her bravery. The author did a lovely job of addressing Camille’s life from her arranged marriage to the other men she has encountered. St. George also weaves in the women’s suffrage movement in London, all while entertaining us with a heartfelt romance.

The romance was sensual, and the conflict came from character growth, which kept the drama low. I loved the chats Throne had with the other men, all now husbands and fathers, and how they heard him. Well, maybe the wives helped a little…lol

Fans of the series will appreciate the updates on beloved couples from the previous books. While I wholeheartedly recommend reading the series in order, each book delivers a complete story.

Swoons, delicious heat and a touching tale await fans of historical romance in the conclusion of the Gilded Age Heiresses series.

Since the beginning of this series, I’ve really been eagerly awaiting more about Camille. It was her marriage to the Duke because she was an heiress which really was the impetus for the other heroines actions, and how they found love. She is now a widow, and wants to make herself happy.

She decides to make a bargain with Jacob, that they can be in a fake engagement in exchange for sex lessons, so that he can be respectable and get his own gaming club. I will admit, as soon as I knew there was a gaming club owner. I needed this book immediately, because that is my catnip. I was not disappointed by this book at all.

It’s really amazing to see how the relationship between Camille and Jacob develops. He really helps her understand that her marriage had signs of abuse which she felt, but did not recognize for what it was. The book was a slow burn at the beginning, but you did get the scenes that you wanted between Camille and Jacob. All in all, I loved everything about this book from the main couple to the situation and how everything was handled.

Hi and welcome to my blog stop for Harper St. George's The Duchess Takes a Husband! A big thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

The Duchess Takes a Husband was one of those pleasant reading surprises for me. In the interest of total transparency, the hero of book 1 in the series made me mad (and that's obviously something I have a hard time getting past ;)) , I didn’t read book 2, & I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one.

But the vibes here are so good: the fake engagement, the hero’s desire to protect the heroine, the first crackling sex scene—which is written in a way that had me captivated & more than a little heated.

At the beginning of the book widow and dowager duchess Camille has decided to approach Jacob Thorne, a friend of a friend, & ask him to show her sexual pleasure. She’s never known it before & wonders if this is even something she’s able to experience.

Eventually they work out an arrangement that leads to some very real kissing, although neither of them will catch feelings no they won’t.

This is a great historical with a heroine who risks embarrassment to pursue her own desire & the chemistry between Camille & Jacob is really something to experience. The inclusion of Camille’s burgeoning interest in the suffrage movement is also something to cheer—hurrah for brave women.

I took a leap with this one & I’m really glad I did.

4⭐️. Out today!

CWs: Camille was abused in previous marriage. Camille is scared of sex. Suffrage protest infiltrated; she was almost struck with a baton.

[ID: the ebook rests on a stack of hardback books with non visible spines. To the right a black sparkly clutch rests against the stack. In the background is a yellow wall & a Vincent Van Gogh sunflower painting.]

Camille, Dowager Duchess of Hereford has been seen throughout the series as a cautionary tale for the Crenshaw sisters. She was sold to the highest titled bachelor in the English aristocracy and her resulting misery was plain for all to see. She was humiliated publicly by her cruel husband. He may have been forced to marry her for the money she would provide him, but he was sure to make sure everyone knew that she was beneath him in every way imaginable. While her friends could see that she was now living a nightmare of a life, no one really knew the extent of her circumstances in private. Camille went from a bright, happy young woman who was considering a suitor in New York to an emotionally abused former shell of herself stuck in a loveless marriage. Her husband had treated her like his own personal property, something he used for his own needs any way he saw fit. She lost a piece of her humanity in becoming subservient to him, and didn’t know if she’d ever get it back. Now that she is (thankfully) widowed, she does enjoy a sliver of freedom in her own home, and starting to make some choices for herself. However, she is still dependent on the new Duke's whims and if she does anything he disapproves of, he manipulates her by threatening to withhold her money.

You really feel for the poor Duchess as she is navigating this new phase of her life.

Camille doesn't really feel comfortable confiding in any friends so she just holds it all inside. Her parents are definitely out of the question as confidantes, as they were the cause of her situation in the first place. Even though she's firmly stuck in her own head, you do see her rebelling at society's strictures a bit even in the beginning. She joins Montague club against her parents' wishes, and this is where she decides to present one of the co-owners, Jacob Thorne with an indecent proposal. She has always felt a flutter of attraction to him, even before her marriage. Now she wants him to help her experiment with a physical relationship in order to help her move past the trauma she experienced in her marriage bed. To her embarrassment, he gently turns her down because of their close association through their mutual friends. It could get complicated later, and that could lead to awkwardness. Neither has any interest in emotional entanglement or marriage for their own personal reasons, but whether they admitted it to themselves or not, they were emotionally invested from day one.

Jacob was a sweet and supportive hero. He has his own demons that stem from his parents' scandalous relationship. His mother was mistress to the late Earl of Leigh. It wasn't a healthy relationship that he could aim to model his own future after. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Though Jacob is a bit of a ladies' man, he isn't the type to disregard the feelings of the women in his life. I would even describe him as a gentleman, one who is protective and caring. It was probably the hardest thing he ever had to do when he turned down the beautiful woman who attracted his eye for a long time now. And he had every intention of sticking with his decision until his new business aspirations required that he's settled in a serious relationship. Jacob wants to open a new club in Paris, and his potential partner sees him as a loose cannon because of his casual sex life. He needs a fake fiancée fast, so their bargain is struck. Bedroom lessons and a temporary fake engagement until he moves away to Paris to start his new club. They lay down rules at the start: The exchange will be friendly and beneficial to both, but absolutely no falling in love!

There was definitely no insta-love in this relationship. I could see the gradual build-up from mild attraction to head-over-heels for both. They each had a lot of internal battles to overcome in order to be ready to accept their feelings. They were in a state of denial for a lot of the book, but they could sense if they let go and allowed it to happen, they'd be in deep very fast. He does believe in the concept of love, just not in its success rate. Particularly when it comes to himself. Camille needs to make peace with her past and bury her demons, and that is no small feat. Together, they find comfort in each other, which is something neither could ever conceive of happening.

I gave this three stars because the book dragged for me for a chunk in the middle, and I didn't really feel as if the whole setup with their fake engagement made a lot of sense. His potential new partner distrusting him because he was too much of a ladies' man felt like a plot device rather than an actual realistic conflict. I just couldn't see him caring-it had nothing to do with the business proposal. Also, the details of their relationship felt very modern and out of place in that time period. The "indecent proposal", them deciding to live together in Paris while still single, the kinky room at the club, and both adverse to marriage? I know they were supposed to be "progressive" and forward thinking for the time, but all of the details together made it feel like I was reading about a modern couple in a historical setting. I did worry about that when I read the synopsis, but I really enjoy this author's writing, so I went for it anyway. It wasn't a bad reading experience, but I will say that I enjoyed this one a bit less than the previous books in the series. However, if you've been following the Gilded Heiresses series, this is still worth reading in order to see Camille finally find her HEA.