A Duke of One's Own by Emma Orchard was a book that caught my attention by the cover and when I read the summary, I knew I wanted to read it. It's the first book I've read by Orchard but I'll definitely pick up more from her in the future as I enjoyed it.

Lady Georgiana Pendlebury isn't afraid to break the rules of polite society so when she's invited to a party by someone she considers a friend, she jumps at the idea. Unfortunately, there's more to this plan than she thought. As she's abandoned by this so-called "friend" in the middle of something more scandalous than a party, and a mysterious stranger offers to help, she accepts, never knowing that their encounter would turn her life upside down.

Later that summer, Georgiana is invited to attend a house party in Yorkshire and the gathering is really an effort to arrange a marriage for the Duke of Northriding (Gabriel) who not only needs an heir but also has a reputation as a rake which makes Georgiana happy to be there solely for entertainment purposes. Little did she expect upon her arrival that her mystery man from that party all those nights ago (and who she hasn't been able to stop thinking about) is none other than the Duke.

As Georgiana does everything she can to make sure their secret never gets out, she can't help thinking about Gabriel and after that night with Georgiana, Gabriel doesn't want any of the debutantes vying for his attention, no one but Georgiana will do. I loved how these two met (spicy!) and their reunion as well. The underlying story of just why / how Georgiana ended up at that party was an interesting twist with some bumbling villains that ultimately brought these two characters together.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this book and I'll pick up more from Orchard in the future. If you're looking for a historical romance with a bit of spice, consider picking this one up. It has a good story and solid characters that will keep you turning the pages.

Fresh, spicy and perfect for fans of Bridgerton. I really enjoyed this book! Will definitely be reading more from this author.

This was an entertaining read. Lady Georgiana was someone who always pushed things too far and caused her elder brother, Hal, all types of worry. Gabriel, the Duke of Northriding is looking for a bride, he needs an heir. He had a very bad reputation. Gabriel had a troubled background. Georgie and Gabriel had an instant attraction but they both had reasons for not marrying each other. I enjoyed the way, their relationship developed and the ending was very satisfying. There are a few surprises that added interest. I received a copy and have voluntarily been it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve never been a big reader of Regency romance in the past but, over the past couple of years, this has changed and it is mainly due to two factors. The first is ‘the Bridgerton effect’ which is largely to blame for the upsurge in popularity of this genre, not just for me. The second is my association with the Romantic Novelists’ Association and, through that, coming across so many wonderful authors who write these books. It has been an education, and a highly pleasurable one. So, I jumped at the chance to read a new-to-me author in this genre when I received an email about A Duke of One’s Own.

Despite the fact that i have read a number of books in this genre recently, this one hits a little differently. The main reason for this is the level of spice. It is ramped up high for this genre. You won’t get this in the Mills and Boon Historical line. Think Season 1 of Bridgerton after Daphne and the Duke get married and you’ll be on the right track for the heat level. If this is not your thing and you prefer a more prim and proper version of romance, this book is not for you. If you like a bit of chilli kick in your love stories though, read on!

I have to say, it took me a few chapters to get in to the book. The beginning was abruptly surprising for Regency, a bit like a bucket of cold water to the face as you answer the front door and that first chapter ia a bit of a blur as a result and I didn’t connect with the characters initially. I might have ordinarily given up but I persevered and I’m really glad I did because, once I was into the story and bonding with the characters, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole escapade. There is chemistry and romance and drama and intrigue and villainy, it is entirely entertaining and well worth picking up.

I hadn’t realised that these characters had appeared in a previous book by this author and I think I would have liked to have read that first to get a clearer picture of the background but it didn’t unduly spoil my enjoyment of this book, the references to some of the past events were just a bit distracting in parts. But then, that might just be me as I am easily distracted these days with so much going on outside of reading and the blog (hence the dearth of content these past weeks.) Overall, this book passed a number of enjoyable hours and I can highly recommend it.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book a lot! It was fantastic!

"A Duke of One's Own" by Emma Orchard is a charming Regency romance, filled with witty banter, swoon-worthy moments, and unexpected twists. Enchanting!

Lady Georgiana Pendlebury isn't your usual Regency miss, she enjoys a rather unconventional lifestyle which inevitably leads her into trouble. Her meeting, one night, with a mysterious stranger changes the course of both their lives and brings unexpected results. Whilst the Silver Duke has his own rather louche lifestyle, he can't get this beautiful stranger out of his mind and when he meets her again, sparks fly in more ways than one.

This is a lively, and rather spicy, romp through the vagaries of Regency society where there is never a dull moment as we observe as aged roués gather in the jaded decadence of a London salon, to the starkness of a Yorkshire castle where prospective brides are paraded in front of Gabriel Mauleverer, Duke of Northriding, as he attempts to pick out his future wife. I raced through the story in a couple of afternoons, there's a nice amount of intrigue to keep interest, and lots of sparky passion between the lead characters and whilst the peripheral characters add interest this really is Georgie and Gabriel's story.

A Duke of One's Own has a hint of a modern day Georgette Heyer, the narrative is authentic, no modernisms to spoil the flow, and whilst it is unashamedly sexy, it is also super duper romantic.

Fun To Read

I really enjoyed this story and the charming writing style of the author, who is new to me. The plot is good and peppered with humor, twists and turns, a touch of intrigue and some spice. The characters are endearing and I loved the chemistry between them right from the start. Most of the side characters also were very sympathetic, which made the book all in all an enjoyable read.

Georgina Pendlebury is a young, passionate lady who likes to break the strict rules of society. When a friend invites her to a masquerade, however, she has no idea that she will end up in an orgy. But she is far too curious to leave it straight away and ends up in a passionate tryst with a stranger.

Since the incident, Georgiana is determined to behave properly from now on and accompanies her aunt to her childhood friend in Yorkshire, whose brother is organising a house party to find a bride.

Gabriel Mauleverer, the Duke of Northriding, is a notorious womaniser who never intended to marry, but when his two potential heirs die in quick succession, he is forced to find a suitable bride.

When the two come face to face, they immediately recognise each other and still feel strongly attracted to each other.
Although he asks her to marry him, she refuses because she doesn't want a marriage based solely on lust...

Overall, an entertaining story with likable characters that I am happy to recommend!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you @boldwoodbooks, @NetGalley, and author Emma Orchard for my advanced copy of A Duke of One’s Own. This book was so good. If you’re a fan of Bridgerton, you’ll definitely enjoy this book. The romance was incredibly heartwarming, and the storyline was well developed.

Such a fun read alongside serious topics during the regency era! Georgiana & Gabriel’s story was witty, steamy & thoughtful; both characters showed determination and strength in their own ways. Highly enjoyable read!

A Duke of One's Own-read as a standalone

By Emma Orchard-never read author for me

Rating: 4 /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📃 Page Count: 304

🌎Setting: London 1816

📙Publication 4-22-24, Read 4-20-24

🙏🏾 Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC❤️ ! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

🤷🏾‍♀️ What to Expect

✅Historical Romance Fic
✅spicy masquerade
✅one night stand
✅forced proximity
✅sapphic romance/LGBTQIA+ rep
✅hidden identities
✅age gap romance

Summary: Lady Georgiana Pendlebury (Georgie) walks to the beat of her own drum. She chooses mischief and adventure over polite society within the ton. She's invited to a masked ball by her new friend, a widow Lady Caroline Aubrey- not knowing the ball is an orgy. Shocked and needing to get away, a mysterious man hurries her away to a room alone. They have a steamy moment together and go their separate ways. Months later. Georgiana attends another party where she learns the Duke of Northriding/ Duke Gabriel Mauleverer is her stranger, and he's looking for a wife. They spend time together even though Georgie resists him and his marriage proposal- until she doesn't.

🎭The characters: Georgie and Gabriel come off as opposites, her an innocent virgin and him a rake. They have the same passion for each other and it oozes off the page. Their story is a little Shakespearean with Georgie dressing as a man at the party, meeting a sexy stranger and finding out he is a wealthy duke looking to marry. I loved Aunt Louisa and Jane's unconventional and scandalous relationship. They are two strong women who could care less about what other people think. I loved the family aspect of Georgie and her five brothers, and Gabriel with his sister Lady Blanche.

🤔 My Thoughts: This was a solid historical romance filled w/ a lot of spice. I could have lived without the "villain" plot but that's just the romantic in me. I'd definitely read more in this world Emma Orchard created. Bravo!

{ARC review - thank you to Boldwood Books for the early copy in exchange for my honest review}

This was a fun little Regency romance to whet my appetite for the upcoming season of Bridgerton! I didn’t super love the main characters - they felt a little underdeveloped and (as much as I hate this term) all of the character development that happened felt like a case of “telling, not showing”. We were told the characters had these attributes, that Georgie was flighty and rebellious and Gabriel was a rake, but we weren’t actually SHOWN enough examples for these to be their defining characteristics imo.

That said I did like the side characters, I especially appreciated that a couple of members of Georgie’s family were in same-sex relationships and that this was acknowledged as a challenge given the time period. I loved that the one same-sex relationship we got a bit of insight into (Georgie’s aunt Louisa and Jane) was shown to be a loving, supportive relationship. Without giving too much away I really loved where those two ended up!

Overall this would make a great read for anyone looking for a light but spicy Regency romance. A Duke of One’s Own is out tomorrow (April 22nd)!

Lady Georgiana Pendlebury accidentally finds herself at a scandalous masked soiree, where she has an encounter with a mystery gentleman.
Later that summer, Georgiana attends a house party meant to arrange a marriage for the new Duke of Northriding. Georgiana and the Duke, Gabriel Mauleverer, are shocked to discover that they’ve met before and that their attraction still holds.

While I was intrigued by the blurb, this book and I were sadly not a match. I could not connect to the author's writing style/prose at all, and that made me struggle to connect with the characters. The hero and heroine talked about how much they wanted each other, but - aside from the initial meeting - I didn't feel the chemistry between them at all. I didn't even want to finish this one; it couldn't hold my attention.

Tropes: Masquerade, One Night Stand, House Party, Forced Proximity, Compromised

* I read an ARC and this is my honest review.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

After being tricked into attending a masked orgy, Lady Georgiana Pendlebury knows she is lucky to have her reputation intact. The only person who knows she had a 'romantic interlude' was the man in question, and she's never seen him before. So arriving at a house party with her aunt at the Duke of Northriding's Yorkshire castle, and realising that the notorious "Silver Duke" is that man, is a shock. Gabriel Mauleverer, Duke of Northriding, is in need of an heir, and a wife. The house party this summer is for him to choose a bride who'd be happy to live at the castle, and not just after the title. Gabriel never expected to want any of the debutantes putting themselves forward, but he hasn't been able to forget about the masked lady, and now he knows who she is, he'll do whatever it takes to the bride he wants.

When I saw the cover for A Duke of One's Own, I knew it was my kind of book. Georgie may be a lady, but she cares little for her reputation, or what is expected from her. She is lucky in her family that she won't be forced to marry against her will, just for reputation or for security. So everyone knows she is not at the castle as a prospective bride, but as a guest of Gabriel's sister. She's harmless to the other debutantes, but Gabriel doesn't want any of them, he only wants Georgie. I did think she was too headstrong at times, and was about to spite herself, and Gabriel, by refusing him again and again. Gabriel was portrayed as a rake, and he had had a reputation in the past, but following the deaths of his brother and cousin, he is ready to settle down for the sake of the duchy. Finding Georgie first in London, and then again at his home, he realises that she has awakened something inside him, and he wants only her. He never tries to force her into anything she doesn't want, but tries to show her again and again that he is honest and steadfast in his affection.

The added intrigue of the siblings out to punish Georgie was interesting, but not surprising at all. There were moments when I had to laugh at how obvious the villains were, and how ridiculous the plot was getting. I did like that way it forced Georgie and Gabriel to be real with each other, about their feelings, but it could've been done a bit quicker. Still, it was an enjoyable historical romance.

This was a good book to read but I must say it is not one of my favourites. A historical romance set in 1816 it is the story of Lady Georgiana Pendlebury and her romances, good and bad with the wrong and then maybe the right man.

The characters were alright but the connections between characters was a bit lacking and the story was light and airy so to speak. It was a fun read but if you want something with a bit more substance than this is not that book. It is entertaining and easy to read so overall a decent book and read.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I liked A Duke of One's Own but unfortunately didn't love it. I thought the two main characters were fun and I liked their relationship. However, I found the pacing a bit off and the story didn't fully grip me like other historical romances I've read. I also got the sense that I was missing context from a previous book, which is on me for not realising there was a previous book. I would still be interested to read future books by the author but this one just wasn't for me.

one thing I love about regency or other historical romance eras is that everyone it entwined somehow. Even if it takes awhile for the MC to relaize and in this case our Lady G has taken in quite the sight only to see a particular party goer again and this time she won't let him slip away so easily. Fun, easy read, and little naughty.

This author’s prose is very “classic”, reminding me of Jane Austen and older writers in general (I know that the author is a big fan of Georgette Heyer, but I never read her books, so I can’t really compare them), but the book is pleasantly steamy, so the contrast was very perplexing for me at the beginning… But then I loved every moment of it. The relationships between the characters, main and side ones, are refreshingly honest and the love between Georgiana, her aunt and her brother is sincere and endearing. And I really, really loved Gabriel, who’s so very much in love, but doesn’t have a clue! There’s some humor as well, but the strength of the book is in its well fleshed-out characters. A solid five star read.
Now that I’ve discovered this new author, I won’t definitely miss her next books!

I really enjoyed this book - a little far fetched in places, and a little too spicy in others - but otherwise I found it a delightful tale, full of intrigue, house parties and the marriage mart.

To be honest it was a little more explicit than other books I have read in this genre, but the storyline was good and the characters (with one exception) were likeable.

An enjoyable read 4*

A spicy saucy read perfect for Bridgeton fans.I enjoyed from first to last page.#netgalley #boldwoodbooks