This book was just fine.

I'm a big enjoyer of romance, and I love a Regency HR from time to time. This story hit some marks and missed a couple for me.

The plot described only occupies around the first 1/2 of the book - the latter half is spent trying to untangle a couple other smaller, connected issues. Finding Maria in the first bit was fun, flirty and adventurous, but in the second half things start to crumble a bit; the ending felt rushed, and lacked payoff - within 2 chapters things have been resolved off page and we're moving on to a happy ending.

I did enjoy the characters - Dominic had a dry voice that I enjoyed, and Meg very much felt like a country girl in the big city for the first time, while also being funny and intelligent. Their interactions were lively and witty, but they fell in love a bit too fast for my liking. The side characters didn't really feel notible enough to comment on. Except for Francis, who popped up at the end and added some pizzazz.

The writing and prose felt appropriate for the time period, and (I assume) very Georgette Heyer-esque; but it also sadly created a disconnect between me and the characters. I didn't feel like I really got to know them, or really how they felt much about anything. So I had trouble being invested in their relationship or their concerns because I didn't really care much at all about them as people.

5 stars

I enjoyed this story. Maria's Aunt sends for Meg as Maria has run off. She was due to marry Dominic. Meg is Maria's identical twin. Their father is a bit of a bibliomaniac (which is relevant towards the end of the book). He didn't get on with his wife and a bit like "The Parent trap" the twins are split up. Maria stays with her father because she is prepared to live with his demands and tantrums whereas Meg goes to the Mother, who sounds like a feminist and an author. Meg and her mother have lived in poverty surviving on the mothers book receipts, Maria has lived a materially comfortable life with the father.

Meg has to track Maria down and the first stage is to find out whether Dominic was a factor in the flight. Some of the plot could be easily identified but that didn't lessen the enjoyment. Dominic is very repectful of Meg's feelings though Meg is not unexperienced in the flirting arts. Lots of lovely descriptions, very evocative.

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

A totally twisting, turning humorous ride of a story! Loved how so many issues were covered regarding the rights of women. Meg is a delightful character who is bold, but also cares deeply for her family. Dominic began as a somewhat shallow character, but he develops so completely and grows as the story unfold. This is such a delightful story!

At his betrothal party Dominic receives some shocking news – the person he’s spent all evening with at the party isn’t Maria, his promised bride at all, but her identical twin sister Meg! Maria has run away and Meg begs Dominic to help find her as the wedding is only three weeks away.

An enjoyable and engaging storyline told from two points of view, Dominic and Meg, making the characters really come alive as they are faced with plenty of shocks and surprises. A gentle narrative, with some steam as you would expect from this author that blends into the storyline really well, as Dominic and Meg search for Maria whilst fighting their growing attraction to each other. The growth in their feelings reflects the growth of the unity in their fractured families as they come together to resolve their problems.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for giving me the opportunity to read their novel.

Some positives of this book is that I felt like the relationship between Dominic and Meg flourished in a was that felt somewhat believable. I think I liked both characters but honestly none of them really stood out as strong characters.

I really think the thing that made this book unlikable was the length. I felt like the plot just didn’t stop. I am not the one to say a book has too many words, but I simply thought we could have shorten this book 100 pages and still come to the same conclusion.

The intimate scenes also were oddly written. I had to take a short break after reading their novel phrase “pearl of Venus”

Not such a secret fact about me: I love regency romances. Can't get enough of them.

So, naturally, whenever an author whose books I've enjoyed in the past has a new one coming out, I'm beyond excited to get my hands on it. This was the case with A GENTLEMAN'S OFFER by Emma Orchard.

In a tale of mistaken identity with one twin impersonating the other, the sizzling desire and budding love story develop with a mystery of the "rightful" bride - FMC's sister - disappearing. We also have an absolutely evil Lord Nightingale, a half-brother who steps up to ocassion (Francis 🫶🏻🥺), a mother who's an author and a blackmail!

It was such a fun, quick read and I'm looking forward to more from Emma Orchard.

A GENTLEMAN'S OFFER publishes on March 22.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in an exchange for an honest review.

This is a great book for lovers of Pride and Prejudice and Bridgerton with a whimsy mysterious twist. The characters are clever and lovable.

I would suggest this is you want Georgette Heyer but with spice and modern thinking.
The characters are like able, sometimes annoying but likable.

3 stars!

"A Gentleman's Offer" is a historical romance following Dominic and Meg looking for Meg's missing twin sister - who Dominic is engaged to (arranged marriage) and Meg has swapped identities with. So fun! The synopsis compares the book to the Bridgerton series and it's similar because of the historical background, but otherwise very different - not a bad thing! A Gentleman's Offer reminded me a lot of Jane Austen's books and I loved the writing.

The book was fast paced and quick to get through. The adventure plot of finding Meg's sister was so fun, and the characters worked well together. The tension in their romance was great, but I would've liked for it to last a little longer before they got together. The romance was a little too rushed for my taste. I didn't feel too connected to the characters and would've liked a little more thoughts/feelings from them. I enjoyed the scandals and was kept entertained the whole book.

Overall, I thought this was fun and want to read more from this author. I think if you're in the mood for a fun, rom-com historical romance this is great, but it's not a must read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I have to admit, I was skeptical about this Regency romance. I listened to What a Woman Wants and discovered that I find listening to such a spicy book deeply uncomfortable. This novel, however, was far less spicy, although I would't have minded it in a print version. I must admit that I found the premise of this romp very convoluted, but the fact that Orchard kind of acknowledges this in the references to Twelfth Night was rather refreshing. I found our two main characters quite lovable and the supporting cast quite diverse. The fact that the ending was a bit rushed is the only complaint that I can find.

If you love Bridgerton then you will love this book! The writing was very easy to read and enjoy. And the plot was very well thought out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for letting me read this ARC.

⭐️4.5

Dominic De Lacy is informed by his mother that he is to marry Marie Nightingale— as was his father's dying wish.
However, at their engagement party, he makes a shocking discovery... the woman before him is not Marie, but her identical twin sister, Margaret Nightingale.
Marie vanished a fortnight ago and has yet to return. To prevent a scandal, their aunt, Mrs. Greystone, called upon Margaret to take her sister’s place and secretly search for her.
Having been estranged from Marie for years, Margaret has no idea where to begin. Convinced that Dominic is somehow responsible for her sister’s disappearance, she demands answers. But when she realizes he knows nothing either, she asks for his help.
Together, they set out to uncover the truth about what happened to Marie—and his fiancée.

This was my first book by Emma Orchard, and I absolutely loved it!
Her writing style drew me in from the very beginning, making it impossible to put the book down. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Margaret and Dominic, as well as the mix of mystery and adventure.
While some of the twists were easy to predict, they added to the charm of the story, making it a fun and enjoyable read.

Overall, I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a cute and fun romance with a touch of mystery!

"The gorgeous and spicy new romance from Emma Orchard, perfect for everyone waiting for their next Bridgerton fix!

June, 1817
Sir Dominic De Lacy - one of the season's most eligible gentlemen - has recently proposed marriage... to a woman he scarcely knows. But his father's choice for him, Miss Maria Nightingale, seems amiable, and at 29, Dominic cannot live the life of a bachelor forever. He hopes he can provide a happy future for her as they learn to care for each other.

Maria, however, has other ideas. Midway through their engagement celebrations, she confesses to Dominic that she is not Maria at all, but her identical twin sister, Margaret. Maria has disappeared, and Margaret's been persuaded to take her place until she's found - and for that she needs Dominic's help. The pair quickly find they make a formidable team, but with just three weeks to avoid the biggest scandal of the season, time is against them.

But even if they find Maria, can they really hope the wedding will happen? Because, as they are starting to realise, chemistry can't be arranged - and Sir Dominic might just be engaged to the wrong Miss Nightingale..."

Eh, just live as your twin sister forever if it means happiness and you're not actually keeping a secret from your husband...

“You see, my father doesn’t approve of extensive and serious education for women.”

What can I say? I love Emma Orchard’s books. A Gentleman's Offer did not make an exception, even though it was very different from the previous ones.
The writing style is still here, bringing the reader back to the 18th century, helping to immerse us into the story. The main themes are here too: like in others E.O.’s books, you’ll find a strong FMC, feminism and diverse characters, the whole rejuvenating the Historical Romance genre, while remaining faithful to it.
In this one, however, both MC know who they are, and what they want very early in the story. The book is built around the plot, secrets, and everything that isn’t in their control, which made it pretty original regarding romances’ structures nowadays. Don’t get me wrong, I deeply love feelings and pinning, and stories based on characters’ development, but it felt fresh to read something different for once.
As I said, Meg knows who she is. She was raised by a feminist mother and isn’t afraid to say No, to impose herself –which can be complicated as she plays her sister’s role (whose story I would love to read one day). Dominic is a great character, full of green flags. This book is less spicy than the previous ones, but it is completely adapted to the story. Meg and Dominic are before all a team and their attraction is intellectual before anything else (even though the chemistry is there, as much as… boots fetish ˆˆ). I adored how Meg truly impresses him, and how he isn’t afraid to say so.
This book revolves around the notion of education, and I loved how it used the pattern of classic comedies for it. I don’t want to spoil, but what was written about Meg’s father was delicious, and some things were real food for thought.
Another great historical romance story !

Thank you to the author and Boodwood Books for the eARC via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

Rate 4.5/5

Right from the prologue I was GRIPPED. I think period pieces set around this time tend to lend themselves to Austen influences, but the writing style, blatant references (universal truths anyone?), and scandals felt quite reminiscent of the books we love from our beloved Jane. It had the scandal of P&P, the distant paternal figure in a mix of Mr Bennett and Mr Woodhouse, and the colourful mix of personalities of our favourite heroines. The writing style was very reminiscent of Austen's novels and it took me time to get through some bits of the story. It was a very high-level romance plot with not a ton of development, but I quite enjoyed it.

My first impression of Dominic is that he was sensible and bored, resigned to a quiet, unpassionate marriage. I, like him, waited for the passion. And when it delivered, oh, it delivered. Regrettably, I haven’t read other period stories like this that feature the MMC POV, and I loved it. He was level headed, reasonable, and besotted from the start, which was an enjoyable tone of ‘will they won’t they’ throughout the adventure of finding Maria.

Meg was so fun to follow. Everything we know about Maria is through the testimony of other people, which was an interesting dynamic for twins.

"A Gentleman's Offer" fell flat for me. Some plot points felt predictable, and several characters didn't have the necessary depth or development, especially Dominic. There's also simply too much going on, which causes the overall story to drag alongside excessive dialogue.

As a fan of regency books, I enjoyed the setting of this book. The premise was good, having the sisters switch places. Meg annoyed me initially but by the end I quite liked her. I found the pace to be very slow to begin with but it did pick up towards the end, and I read it in just over a day.
I would have liked the language to be a little less formal, this put me off slightly. Fans of Austen or Bridgerton you might enjoy this.

Thanks to NetGalley and Emma Orchard for allowing me to read and review this book!

unfortunately everything about this fell flat for me. I felt like the character development was flat, the plot was unexciting, and the romance wasn't giving me butterflies. I also found some plot decisions very farfetched.

I love the premise here, but unfortunately the pacing and POV didn't connect with me and I DNF at 50%.

I am fairly new to the regency genre, and as a lover of romance this certainly had its swoon worthy moments! The synopsis excited me, and presented fun tropes I have yet to discover in the genre.

I do wish that the mystery towards the middle had lasted a bit longer-however Maria’s story was sweet. Considering the length of the book it still felt like it dragged on at points, especially since it’s on the shorter side of regency books I’m familiar with.

There are some sweet moments but I wasn’t always eager to get back to it in my off moments in the ways a book that’s really reeled you in will.

I don’t think all regency books can/should be grouped in with “if you’re a fan of Bridgerton” as I feel it does a disservice to both series. Emma is a welcome voice in a space many readers are beginning to dip their toes in thanks to the popularity of a series like Bridgerton.