The Independent Woman

Review of The Independent Woman By Jill Darragh

The Independent Woman by Jill Darragh is a romance book about two main characters, Darfield Buchanan, Duke of Iversleigh, who, as the title suggests, is born into royalty. He finds himself the neighbor of a beautiful widow and a successful businesswoman. The duke has a son from a previous relationship that didn't go well, and he finds himself bonding well with the young widow. Having both come from a difficult family background, the duke and Mariana are having a hard time bonding with each other, each having their own issues to deal with, with the duke being a cold-hearted man and Mariana being a free-spirited lady. Will the two fit into each other's world? Well, find out in the book The Independent Woman By Jill Darragh

What I like about the book is the independence portrayed by the lady, Marianna Marsham, in a world where women were supposed to be submissive, to be seen, and not to be heard, as they say. She broke the odds to achieve the unachievable in the business world, which is very impressive. Additionally, I like the fact that they both are determined to fight all odds to find their happiness, despite the barriers in their way.

I rate this book, The Independent Woman, By Jill Darragh 5 out of 5 stars for the above reasons.

I recommend this book to those readers who love romance as well as those who love interactions with royalty. Titles like queen, duke, duchess, prince, and so on will be encountered greatly by the readers of this book. It's a book about romance and royalties, and it will be a fascinating adventure into the lives of the high and mighty.

Wanting independence after the passing of her husband, Marianna Marsham moves to the countryside. She finds herself entangled in country society gossip alongside Darfield Buchanan, Duke of Iversleigh, a man who wishes to raise his illegitimate son in a safe, loving home.

Okay, the story is quite cliched, and what you might expect from a Historical Romance, but there were moments I was pleasantly surprised by where Jill Darragh broke away from the mould and let the story have its quicks and twists. I'll admit that it took me a bit longer than usual to be fully immersed in the story. Maybe because Darragh's novel is somewhat similar to Bridgerton and many other Historical Romances, I expected it to take the same path, but it was nice when The Independent Woman diverted some tropes and this let the novel stand out more. I do see this novella as more of a cosy read at home.

Overall, The Independent Woman was a cosy Historical Romance that I highly recommend to any Bridgerton lovers (if you love the romance more than the spice), or to anyone who needs a quick Historical Romance to help them through their Bridgerton fever.

Thank you, NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great start to the Iversleigh Chronicles series, it had everything that I wanted and glad it had a great historical fiction element to it. Jill Darragh has a great writing style and worked with what I was hoping for, she was able to create a romance element perfectly and felt like a realistic romance. I enjoyed getting to know Marianna and thought that her and the rest of the cast worked well. I can’t wait to read more in this series and from the author.

A great read about a very realistic couple. Loved the romantic story and the family devoted characters included.