Whether you are a long-time fan of Regency romances, or a newly Bridgerton inspired fan, then you are going to thoroughly enjoy A Duke of One’s Own.

The book begins with Lady Georgiana Pendlebury finding herself in a tricky situation. Bored with the usual round of society parties, she has trusted her new friend Mrs Aubrey to take her to a secret masquerade party. When they arrive, Georgie soon realises that she shouldn’t stay and finds herself in need of a tall, dark, mysterious stranger to rescue her.

Later that summer, reputation still intact, Georgiana and her aunt join a house party where the dashing rake the Duke of Northriding is hoping to choose a bride. Gabriel is a gorgeous Duke with a very bad reputation but he is also very rich so there is no shortage of young women lining up to become his new Duchess.

Georgie has vowed that she will not end up in a loveless marriage of convenience or, worse still, fall in love and get her heart broken by a philandering husband.

Of course, it’s no surprise when Georgie and the Duke recognise each other and the truth about the party and their past connection is revealed.

The chemistry between Georgie and Gabriel is instant. There is a palpable sexual attraction and some steamy scenes. But unlike the other society misses, Georgie is resistant to the sound of wedding bells.

There’s more drama when Mrs Aubrey appears back on the scene with a plan to ruin Georgie’s reputation.

This is an absolutely entertaining romp around Georgian England. Georgie is feisty and fun. She knows her mind and has the support of her family to make her own choices.

The spicy scenes are pretty, well, spicy! So if you like you Regency a little more vanilla you might want to skip those pages.

This was a completely engaging and fun read, perfect escapism for a rainy afternoon. I loved it and will definitely read more from this author in the future.

This was okay. I get that it is a book, and they can’t just get engaged 90 pages in or there’d be no story, but Georgiana’s reasons for saying no to Gabriel’s initial proposal seemed pretty flimsy to me. I guess back then infidelity was very commonplace but the immediate assumption that one or both of them would end up having an affair was like…okay. I did end up enjoying their relationship a lot. Some of the sex was hot but the dirty talk wasn’t really my thing. I loved all the clothes descriptions and stuff and that there was a f/f side couple!

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the digital ARC. All of my opinions are my own.

I must confess that am not the person for spicy romances. I like Regency romances and historical novels, but the “action” is usually just hinted at, This is not the case in this novel, it is quite descriptive. I liked the characters and their families, I was quite surprised how the family situation helped this story to become believable. The story was written well, but I found it a bit standard (a young lady and a man with bad reputation). However it could keep me captivated and I recommend this book.

Lady Georgiana is known for her escapades among her family. This particular evening she's at a masquerade dressed as a boy. Shocked, she is unable to stop looking at the guests. Where are their clothes? She's rescued, then willingly seduced by a gentleman with "glossy black hair streaked with silver-grey." Thinking they will never meet again, she attends a house party and is introduced to the host, Gabriel, the Duke of Northriding, the gentleman from the masquerade. Imagine his surprise when he recognizes Georgie! In need of a bride, maybe he's already found his duchess, but Georgie's not so willing to say yes to his proposal.
A frustrating, scorching read with interesting results.
Explicit sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

I don't think I've ever read a book that has an opening scene at an orgy, Regency or not. It certainly spikes interest in the character of Georgiana who has been invited there by a "friend". Apparently, this is just another in a series of mishaps for Georgiana, who was invited by a "friend". Fortunately for her, she is "rescued" by a stranger and thus starts the romance between her and Gabriel.

I found this to be a very entertaining story, right until the last few chapters, which I felt could have been shortened considerably. I felt like there was a lot of extra material that didn't really change the story. I can appreciate the style of the ending chapters but think it could have been a bit more concise. I liked all of the characters, who were well-crafted and made my enjoyment of the story that much better.

Overall, a very nice regency romance that had a bit of extra to the norm. I rate it 3.5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for giving me a free advanced reader copy. I am providing this review voluntarily.

Picking up A Duke of One's Own, I did not expect it to open at an orgy. Like our heroine, Georgiana, I was expecting this gathering to be a masquerade. But I'm excessively glad to be wrong. Our first encounter with the "rakish" Duke Gabriel Mauleverer was so steamy and I was exceedingly excited to discover that this dashing masked man, the Consent King, would be our hero. The Yorkshire medieval castle setting was the perfect Gothic touch to initial wife hunt set up for this scandalous and engaging regency romance. I absolutely devoured this book and managed to read it all in one day. I'm definitely planning to go back and read The Runaway Heiress before book 3, What the Lady Wants, is released in August.

I haven’t read a regency novel for a while and I was excited for this one. I was expecting a bit more from this book. I had a hard time connecting with the main characters not to mention the lack of chemistry between them. I saw Georgie being too stubborn at times. She didn’t want to marry him despite her attraction to the duke (already previously have been intimate with him) but still felt jealous when he courted the other ladies. I did like how the Duke never really forced her to accept him. The little plot twist at the end was a surprise but not shocking. This book was just not for me.






Thank you to Netgalley for the early copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

A Duke of One's Own is a fun historical romance with endearing characters.

I like Georgiana. She has a slightly naughty streak and is inquisitive. She isn't at all intimidated by the Duke and not at all convinced that they should marry. Gabriel, the Duke, is fascinated with Georgiana from the moment he meets her and once he is formally introduced to her he wastes no time in trying to seduce her. Georgiana on the other hand has been warned off him because of his wicked reputation. I enjoyed watching Gabriel mature from a scandalous rake to loving husband.

The events leading up to the whirlwind engagement and hasty wedding take up the first half of the novel. The second half is centred around the couple getting to know each other better and learning how to express their feelings for each other. Steamy scenes are sprinkled throughout the novel. There is also some tension thrown into the mix by a pair of siblings who want to cause problems for Georgiana.

Fans of historical and regency romance will enjoy this book.

Heat Factor: It’s just the right spice

Character Chemistry: They can’t keep their hands off each other and it’s really the whole problem

Plot: Georgie trusts the wrong person and ends up accidentally attending an orgy and meeting a hottie who delivers on some fantasies she has. Determined to be a more proper young woman, she attends a house party only to discover the mysterious hottie is the Duke and her host…

Overall: This book was so delicious, especially if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like if Mr. Darcy talked dirty

So the basic summary here is that Georgie accidentally attends a house party and is rescued by a gentleman, who she almost immediately convinces to do dirty stuff with in a locked room. Abashed, she decides to attend a house party with her better friends (and to shape up! No more capers!) only to discover the host is a Duke and the guy from the orgy.

Gabriel, the Duke, is very obviously obsessed with her from then on (only of course he’s convinced it’s just because she’s unusual and owns her sexuality and is brave and has no shame). He’s adamant that they should marry, but having seen women in her life be absolutely wrecked by men who treated them carelessly, Georgie isn’t interested in any of it. She would very much like to get down in as many ways as possible with Gabriel, but she’s trying hard to remember that if she marries him, one of two things will likely happen: she won’t love him and she’ll want to cheat on him, which doesn’t feel right to her, or she will fall in love with him, and he’ll cheat on her, and it’ll break her heart. So she cuts everything off…or tries to.

Anyway, the entire book is basically these two dunderheads realizing that in fact they have all the right ingredients for a love match and they’re perfect for each other because beyond having similar values and life goals they also have ridiculous chemistry and zero shame in the bedroom.

I’m not saying the book is racy or even remotely salacious even. There are absolutely steamy sex scenes but I think the heat mostly stems from their openness. Georgie is a virgin but she’s far from virginal, and Gabriel talks a LOT, but not with modern vernacular (which is more common in historical books with sex talk, I find). It was different, but I think it helped with the emotional intimacy because it slowed down the sexual tension a little bit by keeping them in character and adding extra emotional context.

I just found myself rooting for their marriage the entire time. Gabriel was so obviously smitten, and there’s just nothing better than a husband who’s obsessed with his own wife. And when I tell you how refreshing it was to read romantic scenes with spouses that were on a sexually even playing field…they were both equally involved, both equally interested, it was neck and neck with the necking, people. Emma Orchard is definitely an author to watch.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

A good historical romance needs good characters. You definitely get good characters in this book. The only area it feel flat for me was too much happening in the plot. Which surprises me to say. The story just chose a more complex path than I think was needed. Especially towards the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC!

Though this is the second book in a series, it can be read as a standalone (I didn't know it was in a series when I started it).

This took me a really long time to finish and I think it was because of the writing style. It struggled to hold my attention as I found it very wordy (one sentence had 62 words and 7 commas!).

I loved the first chapter. I loved the idea of them meeting in such a scandalous way and not knowing who the other is, but I simply couldn't believe in their relationship from then on. Gabriel falls for Georgie, but why? Georgie is pretty contrary and, really, just seems to have the hots for him.

I found that it was hard to connect to the characters. Georgie tells us that Gabriel is ironic and humorous, but we don't actually see it. Gabriel tells us a bunch of her traits while he's mooning over her, but we don't see those either.

I can't say that I was a fan of the last 15 or so percent. It was pretty cartoonish and made it hard to believe.

But if you're looking for a light read with lots of spicy, this might be for you! (I did enjoy the spice!)

Let me start by saving I really like the front cover and was looking forwards to starting this book what I thought would be a typical regency romance. But was a little more raunchy.

Lady Georgiana Pendlebury is no stranger to breaking the rules of polite society. She is a lady who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to ask for it. She gets invited to a masquerade party by someone who she considers a friend, but on arrival she soon realises it is the kind of party she would normally attend, and she has actually been tricked into attending an orgy. After a brief encounter with another guest, Goergina is shocked to come face to face with him a few weeks later and he is no other than the Duke Gabriel Mauleverer who has a terrible reputation of being a rake.

Whilst I like the idea of the book I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. I just couldn't connected with the characters. I found the book dragged in places. But it is a light read you don't really have to think about.

I must also say that this is the second book in the The Runaway Heiress, which I didn't know when I requested the book. Whilst I believe the book is a standalone and can be read as such I don't know if I have missed any back ground on other characters by not reading the previous book.

Thank you to NetGalley and BoldwoodBooks for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly I am a little annoyed that this book wasn’t publicized as a series and was seen as more of a standalone. Reading it there were some elements I was thinking hmm.

The story follows Lady Georgiana Pendlebury who likes to do what she wants and breaks the rules of her society. After a situation in which her reputation was almost shattered she needed to keep a low profile until she meets her “savior” again later that summer…

Overall it is a fun read, fill of banter some steam and set in a regency era. However in places it got a little forced and obvious and at times the characters fell a little flat.

Thank you to Boldwood books for a Netgalley arc.

One of the funniest historical romances I have read!!

The author has such a vibrant description of the world building and the language used for both the characterisation and the setting were just enjoyable and lyrical to read.

The relationship was rooted well between our two main characters and their love story developed quite well. The tension was palpable and overall really fun to read.

Tropes: forced proximity, marriage of convenience, romantic tension,

A regenct romance with an extra spice start. Lady Georgina finds herself at house party that is way more scandalous than she was prepared for. When a masked gentleman finds her hiding, she becomes emboldened to take what she wants. Fast forward a few weeks and she’s suddenly at the masked man’s house while he hunts for a wife.

The premise of the book was promising for a delightful regency romp. I did find the author’s style lacking smooth storytelling and never became too invested in either of the main characters. The MMC had very contrasting personality traits at different points in the book which didn’t offer anything other than confusion on the part of the reader. And overall okay read though and not something that I considered a waste of time. 2.5 stars rounded to 3.

If Jane Austen and Jilly Cooper sat down to pen a novel together then perhaps it would look like this.
Full of regency charm and gorgeous characters that feel as though they could have been written by a novelist of the time but with a lot of added spice and plenty of moments to make this particular reader blush.

When Lady Georgiana turns up at a summer party with a friend of hers it becomes quickly apparent that this is not the place for a fine young lady of standing such as she.
And yet something or somebody makes her stay.

A man behind a mask, identities hidden, complete anonymity, carte blanche to misbehave - until of course what happens that night comes back to confront her as she is reunited by her hidden flame when she least expects it and the masks have been taken off.

Who hasn't accidentally found oneself at an orgy, been rescued by a handsome stranger, who turned out to be a Duke, and then found themselves staying at his home whilst he had a house party to choose a wife?
Amusing, regency romp with independently minded women, and dastardly baddies and a sexy hero, a crowd pleaser for fans of Bridgerton,

I really enjoyed my time with this book and the characters. There was romance, intrigue and a heartwarming edge. Oh and definitely some steamy moments. The plot itself moved pretty quickly and I was half way through the story before I even realised. Both Gabriel and Georgiana were engaging characters. I loved their interactions especially as they had so much fiery chemistry between them. However there was also a deep connection that the two were fighting against. This made their story even more entertaining and enjoyable.

A Duke of One’s Own was above all a fun read, with characters that made me smile. I couldn’t help but root for them. For me the romance was important but there was quite a bit more going on in the story along with a hint of danger that brought a deeper edge to proceedings. The minor characters also brought something to the story. Let’s just say that everything combined so well and kept me invested until the very end.

A Duke of One’s Own is a gorgeous historical romance, the perfect escape!

What a fun regency, historical romance! Loved this one by Emma Orchard. I read this without realizing it was part of a series and can’t wait to go back and read #1, and then #3 when it comes out later in the year!

I wasn't aware this was the second book in a series. At times I felt like I was missing some information, but all in all it could be read as a standalone.

I liked the like-able characters of the story, they felt well fleshed out.

Am intrigued about "Leaky Sue" - would really like to know how she came by her name.