A well written story packed with great characters, suspense, mystery and romance. this historical romance was so fun and one of those books you don't want to put down.
Isabella's life has been hard. She had to marry a Duke at a young age to a man all about money and who was cruel to her. When her husband dies his Cousin Captain Richard Carstairs must now step up and take over as Duke. He wants to quickly have an heir so he can get back to his own life. Now that Isabella is a widow it's a perfect opportunity to make it happen. They aren’t exactly looking for romance but it finds them.
I love the slow romance to the story. It lets me enjoy the stories within the story, which I absolutely loved. The secrets and mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat. Fil Reid’s attention to details and a great storyteller creates an adventure you don't want to miss.

Wow this one was a doozy. When the villian is a dead person and his conniving mistress, you know that there are going to be triggers and boy, I felt sad for the heroine and her sil Dora. They were abused and abused and abused, physically and psychologically by Marcus. No wonder the heroine had such a hard shell around her. Richard our hero, is sweet, protective and just a cinnamon roll hero. He's patient with his love and kindness.

Kinda of painful book, but worth the read, as it is well written.

#netgally #ADuchessofMystery

Secrets, Shadows, and Second Chances
Richard never expected to become a duke—his cousin was young and healthy, until his sudden, suspicious death changed everything. Was it truly an accident…or murder? Determined to uncover the truth, Richard steps into his new role, only to find himself drawn to Isabella, his late cousin’s widow.
But love doesn’t come easily. Richard bears an unsettling resemblance to the man Isabella despised, and she carries secrets of her own. Could she really have had a hand in her husband’s death? Or is she simply protecting something too dangerous to reveal?
As passion sparks and danger looms, Richard and Isabella must face the past before they can hope for a future together.
I enjoyed this blend of romance and mystery and would recommend it to fans of historical love stories laced with danger and intrigue.

Where do I even begin? This book is a wonderful mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s also a delightful slow burn, building tension and romance with every page. At one point, I found myself questioning what exactly an HEA (Happily Ever After) truly means, because the twists and turns had me second-guessing everything.

Overall, it’s a captivating, fast-paced read that’ll have you glued to your seat turning pages to see how it all unfolds. Highly recommend for anyone who loves a gripping historical romances with a touch of suspense!

This book had everything I love about regency romance novels, with a dash of criminal mystery. I love the banter and the character development, as well as the plot and the historical setting.

A Duchess of Mystery by Fil Reid sees Major Richard Carstairs leaving the army to return to his “home” and become the duke, after his cousin, Marcus, had apparently died under suspicious circumstances. A second, private letter encouraged him to absolve the duchess of any guilt in this death. When he arrived he found that many of the servants he had known were still in residence, albeit much older. His cousin, Dora, his childhood best friend was there also, although much changed. Then there was the matter of the duchess, Isabella, who was more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen. After suffering through a ball given in his honor and all the things that led up to it, Richard was able to investigate his cousin’s death. People were not telling the truth and he needed to know why. What he discovered rankled him.

Reid has a particular talent and that is description. This book is so loaded with description that the reader feels they are present. Isabella’s night in jail is one example. One could feel the insects crawling over her. It was horrifying. Reid also writes good characters, flawed as they often are. Was it a murder or a suicide as originally determined? Isabella was suspected. Did she have cause? The man had been a monster, that Diccon (Richard) knew from his own experience. And Marcus’ mistress. Why was she so determined to see Isabella hang? Am engrossing book from the first page. It’s trope not so different that many others, but Reid made it her own. Heart-rending, but not able to be recovered.

I was invited to read A Duchess of Mystery by Dragonblade. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #FilReid #ADuchessOfMystery

I found this enjoyable romance both suspenseful and heartwarming as Richard returns to England after the death of his cousin, one who is universally disliked by those who were beholden to him. Richard had his own issues with Marcus, but discovered that the bully had also abused his widow and sister.  There are secrets surrounding Marcus' death, and there are those who would like to pin the blame on Isabella. With Richard's background and training, he begins to sift through the evidence and finds that not everything is as it seems.  An attraction blooms between Richard and Isabella, but it is only when the truth is revealed that they can allow themselves to admit their feelings. I received a copy of this book as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley, and this is my honest and voluntary review.

A reluctant duke. A widow with secrets. A murder unsolved. In a house haunted by legacy, love may be the only truth left to uncover.

A Duchess of Mystery is the third book of the Mismatched Lovers series.  All of the books can be read as stand-alones. 

Overview

Captain Richard Carstairs is forced to return home after years of service. His cousin, the Duke of Stourbridge, has died with no heir, so the title falls to him. He must return, marry, and provide an heir (and a spare) before he can return to his post. Oh - and he needs to figure out who murdered his cousin, could be anyone, but some think it was his wife. 

Isabella Hope spent 10 years as that horrible man's wife. She wants to be out of his oppressive shadow. It’s been months since his death with no heir claiming the title. That is, until a strange man, who looks eerily like her dead husband, maybe a bastard son, shows up in her stables. She needs to solidify her and Dora’s (the late husband's sister) futures and forget the past. 

Positives 

There is quite a mystery here that was fun trying to solve before the characters. I was close. You do have to make it most of the way through to start getting some answers. So basically, you have to work for it. 

There are a lot of great character arcs in this story. Not just with the main characters. Richard and Isabella, but Dora does too. Their journeys are filled with pain and self-discovery. I will admit I shed a few tears. 

Negatives

I did not like Isabella for the first few chapters. She improves a lot, so give her a chance. I had to be patient with her and with solving the mystery; this is definitely a slow burn. 

Recommendations

★★★★

I give A Duchess of Mystery four stars. This is definitely my favorite of the series. I absolutely loved the quote, “ The mouse has saved the falcon from the wolf.”

Not your average widow...

I really liked how different this leading lady and man were. Diccon is a soldier and his world was so well described.
He inherits his cruel cousin's title and is now the 8th duke.

Isabella is the 7th duke's widow and she never forgets a slight. She's beautiful, bright and prickly. She is a duchess and wears it like a mantle, cutting through the ton but beneath it is her recollection of every slight. Her husband Marcus was awful. There's mystery over his death.

But what I really liked was the parry and thrusts between Diccon and Isabella.
Recommend.
4.5

This author always comes through with interesting characters and engaging plots. Bella is hard to take throughout most of the story yet her devotion to Dora stands well in her favor. Richard is tolerant, patient and determined. Between the two some injustice is resolved, pasts are deeply looked at and the fates balanced. Deeply written causing great emotions and intensity on the readers part.

A deep and emotionally satisfying story. Isabella endures way too much in her lifetime. Once her husband dies, she has to prepare to face her husband's heir, if he can be found. Richard escaped his cruel cousin, but now he is back assuming the title of Duke due to his cousin's death. The story is different from others in plot and characters. It feels original and was very enjoyable to read.

It took me a little while to warm to Isabella. But I soon realized that she wasn't really cruel or vain. It was just a show. Richard was extremely likable. Fil Reid always can be relied upon for a great, solid story.
Thank you to Dragonblade for the copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

Isabella married a degenerate Duke at a young age because he wanted her father’s money and her father wanted her to have a title.
She suffered his infidelities as well as emotional, physical and financial abuse.
When he commits suicide, his cousin Richard who is a lifelong soldier becomes the Duke.
Each has baggage to bring into their new friendship and secrets abound with a mystery to solve.
Slow burn romance with some twists.
Enjoyed the characterizations and secondary characters.

Tropes: MMC is a military man turned duke; MFC with a past; opposites attract; forced proximity; Big Secret
Steam level: low, slow burn
Part of a series, but fine on its own.

Well done overall, with excellent writing and research. The world building is top-notch; it's very easy to feel transported to the time period while reading. I really liked the MMC, Richard a career officer whose life has been the military until he's informed that he's next in line to inherit a dukedom from his late cousin, who was an abusive man with plenty of enemies. The blurb for the book implies that he's a "grumpy" type but I didn't find that to be true; he's down-to-earth, smart, likable, and no-nonsense. Isabella, the MFC, is actually the grumpy one. In fact, it's her attitude that led me to skimming through some of her scenes, as I just can't stand mean girl types. It's understandable that she'd be emotionally damaged by her past, but she's a brat from her first derisive judgment of an older woman's weight. I appreciated her relationship with Dora, but frankly felt that Richard deserved better for much of the storyline.

The pace is a tad slow at first but picks up with the mystery plot, which was more of a highlight for me than the romance between the MC's. I think an epilogue would have helped bring more closure to their relationship.

Fil Reid is a talented writer who is fairly new to me, and I'll definitely check out her other books. I enjoyed everything here but the MFC.

As a Regency romance devotee, A Duchess of Mystery by Fil Reid swept me into a deliciously tense tale! This third Mismatched Lovers installment delivers a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers arc that was slow at start but picked up pace. Captain Richard Carstairs, a rugged soldier turned duke, navigates a web of suspicion surrounding his cousin’s alluring widow, Isabella. Her haughty demeanor grated at first—but her complex layers and bond with the sweet Dora + her backstory softened my view. Reid’s vivid characters shine against a richly drawn Regency backdrop, though Isabella’s prickly nature made her tough to love until late. The gripping plot, laced with past trauma and a murder mystery, kept me riveted. Richard’s charm and patience won me over, and the climax was brilliantly crafted. A tad long, but Reid’s storytelling left me eager for more!

P.S. thank you NetGalley for ARC, all opinions are my own.

Bella has had 10 years to refine her haughty temperament. Richard had no idea he would come back to the ‘home’ he hated, except for his cousin Dora. From the first, I felt Bella to be very annoying and self-absorbed. I had to leave the story for a day because I was so annoyed with her. It was very hard to like her through 3/4 of the story. She reminded me of Scarlett O’Hara. Her only good attribute seemed to be her relationship with Dora, her husband’s abused sister.To be honest, I found it hard to believe a consummate soldier like Richard, would put up with that attitude, but he seemed to find it funny and it was interesting to watch him let her think she had him under her thumb. The writing was riveting, none the less, especially the prison scene where I felt I REALLY needed a bath after reading it.I would have liked to have seen justice served on the perpetrator of the whole scenerio. It was a well written story, well plotted and the climax was very well thought out . The characters felt very real, especially Dora, oh sweet Dora- who put up with so very much to protect those she loved. I think the author did a great job of sniffing out the characters since I had such an emotional response to all of them, even the Butler! No crass language (thank you author!) and rather sweet.

I received this story for free and these are my own views.

A thoroughly enjoyable historical romance with a believable storyline and well-crafted characters. Each main character had a compelling backstory, making their actions and personalities feel authentic and deeply rooted in their past experiences.

A career soldier finds himself a Duke when his much hated cousin dies in suspicious circumstances. Rumours that his cousin’s wife may have had a hand in his death percolate the Ton and Richard is tasked by the Prince Regent to discover the truth. Isabella, a Cit’s daughter married for her father’s money, is a vain beauty who uses her looks as a weapon to ensnare men and pay back women for their snobbery and treatment of her - she never forgives a slight! But is she really a murderer?
An interesting story featuring past abuse/lost baby trigger. Really felt this story needed an epilogue as Isabella was a difficult heroine to like and Dora needed a happier ending.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A really enjoyable historical romance. The story was very believable and I really liked all the main characters. They all had great backstories and you could really understand why they are the way they are and the effects events had on them.

What an adorable historical novel, bursting to the brim with romance and sweetness, with a bit of chaos too. Perfect.