First of all, I would like to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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The first book I’ve ever read by Emma Orchard was “The Viscount and the Thief” and I enjoyed it a great deal, so I was really excited to read her newest book. The synopsis was something that also caught my attention: arranged marriage? twin sisters switching identities? bachelor who’s getting married just for the sake of it but ends up falling in love with his fake switched bride to be? Oh I was sat to read it.
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Emma Orchard’s writing styles never seems to miss, with the formal language, the details and historical accuracy being on point. As I’ve mentioned in my previous review too, the size of the paragraphs and the chapters really help immerse the reader in the book, not being overly long that makes the scenes drag on or too short that appears to have scenes half written.
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I really liked how the plot reaffirmed how difficult it was for a woman to live in that time period in regards of independence (needing a male relative to support and protect them) and also how hard it was for them to make a living (although Mrs. Nightingale was a published author, her earnings were small, and Maria could not access her own inheritance). Although the first half of the book passed by very vast, the second half fell a little flat in my opinion, and had me wondering what more could happen because by then I had guessed the most important plot points (why Maria had ran away and why Mr. Nightingale was doing what he was towards the De Lacy’s specifically).
But that didn’t make the book less enjoyable, even if it was a little bit predictable.
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The relationship between Dominic and Meg was the most delicious of the slow burns, in true regency fashion with lots of pinning and repressed sexual desire. It was nice to see them becoming friends first before finally giving in and admitting that they liked each other, with no insta love whatsoever. I found it specially hilarious how Meg would tease Dominic because of their age gap and how he was very worried about his style (my girl Meg knows what’s up, a well dressed person really raises their appeal). They’re your typical “quiet boy x energetic girl” and Dominic was down bad for her.
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The spice was a lot less in “A Gentleman’s Offer” when compared to “The Viscount and the Thief” (if I recall correctly there were only two scenes at the end of the book, and much more “censored”) but that did not bother me at all. In fact, Dominic and Meg’s flirting was much more enjoyable and I wouldn’t even have minded if there was not spice at all.
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Overall, this is a fun cozy read for those who like regency books and enjoy slow burn. The mystery is also nice, even if a little bit predictable, which made me set on giving it 3.5 (three and a half) stars out of 5 (five).

Satirical...

This story is told in a third person satirical voice. Dominic is a perfectly bored man who is so filled with ennui, that he proposes to someone he barely knows. When Meg, her twin sister announces to him she's there to take her twin sister Maria's place until Maria can be located. They are thrown together and what do you know? He notices Meg.

An entertaining and occasionally steamy Regency romp, delivered with Emma Orchard’s customary aplomb. I couldn’t say I enjoyed it as much as The Viscount and the Thief, which I adored, but I found Meg and Dominic charming and was keen to see how their budding romance would play out. Lots of fun for fans of Bridgerton.

"A Gentleman's Offer" is a charming historical romcom, perfect for fans of Bridgerton! I enjoyed the fast-paced story and the relatable female main character. The writing style, setting, historical accuracy and language style were well-suited for a historical romcom. The story features many popular tropes, including arranged marriage, fake dating, forced proximity, an age gap and lgbtq+ representation.

However, the relationship development between the main characters felt unrealistic, as their love story unfolded too quickly (insta love). They fell in love within a week, which felt abrupt. The plot was predictable and the characters were too flat, but overall the book was still fun and enjoyable.

Thank you netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Another enjoyable histrom from this author. I hope to see more books in the future.

This is a well worked mystery romance. It tells the story of an arranged marriage between Dominic and Maria, only when the engagement is announced it is Maria’s twin sister, Margaret standing in her place. It appears that undue pressure was being put on Maria to marry and the book unravels the reasons why she walked away and where she went. In the meantime, the real love match becomes inevitable as Meg and Dominic are thrown together to sort out the mess. The book broaches issues of sexuality, independence and the limitations placed on a woman as she seeks to control her destiny. The characters are surprisingly sweet bearing in mind that the villain of the piece, Meg and Maria’s father is a selfish tyrannical brute with few redeeming characteristics about him. It would not be surprising to see some of those traits in his children. This however did not detract from a readable, enjoyable novel.

I enjoyed this book, especially as I have just finished binge watching Bridgerton!
Definitely one to read if you are a fan of that show.
I could picture every scene in this book and I fell in love with the characters and their dynamics.

Not my usual type of read, but very glad that I read this one!

Sir Dominic De Lacy has been informed by his mother that his marriage had been arranged prior to his father's passing. He is to marry Miss Maria Nightingale in 3 weeks time. However, due to a minor miscommunication Maria is a no show to her engament party, instead her twin Margaret shows up and takes her place. Desperate to find out what happened to her sister Margaret seeks the help of the staff, Sir Dominic himself, and others to find out what happened to Maria and in the process she learns all the secrets that have been kept from her and her sister and the real reason why Sir Dominic is being forced to marry one of Lord Nightingale's daughters.

A Gentleman's Offer provides you with romance, a missing twin, several disgruntled women and a splash of blackmail to deliver you a scandalous novel even the ton won't know what hit them.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this very fun and busy historical romance.

This Is my fifth Emma Orchard novel and, as someone who’s read her work before, I can honestly say that if you’ve read her previous books and found them enjoyable, you’re also going to like this one. I’ve read my fair share of historical romance and what I think Emma Orchard does well is plotting the events and pacing the general flow of the story which reads really seamlessly. Every book of hers that I’ve read has a different feel and distinctive characters mixed with entertaining plots which are fun and eventful without being too out there or bizarre.

In "A Gentleman’s Offer" in particular I found the main character Maria to be quite enjoyable to read form, but I found the main male character’ POV and his personality slightly forgettable.

The only issue that I think some people might have with this book is that it almost feels like the romantic plot is not the main focus, but a second thought. I honestly didn’t mind, I found the plot line about the Maria’s family and the secondary characters involve in it a lot of fun to read.
Overall, I think my favourite Orchard novel is still "The second lady Silverwood", but this one was enjoyable to read.

Just your classic boy meets girl, proposes, girl says yes but runs away in the night, girl gets replaced by her twin sister to keep up appearances, boy falls in love with replacement twin. From the basic plot, this book sounds like it would be a fun romp. It was not.

First, the prose is very formal. I like to think I’m someone with a larger than average vocabulary, and I’ve read a lot of books set in 1800s England, but there were so many words used in this book that I had never seen before (used in dialogue!) like traduced and animadversions. Additionally, there is a lot of dialogue, a bit of internal thoughts, but very little description of physicality – facial expressions, body language, environment, movement! It sort of felt like I was reading a play. I had to imagine what I thought the characters would be doing (waving arms, tilting heads, pacing, smirking, etc.) during their long paragraphs of dialogue.

Secondly, the characters are dull and you don’t feel connected to their emotions. Dominic is extremely rational at all times, a little bit horny sometimes, and that’s… it. You get a little bit more from Meg, but not much.

Altogether, the book just feels very boring. Things like going to a brothel in drag should be exciting and dangerous, but it was anticlimactic and lame. As I read more, the more of a chore it felt like to keep going. The grand finale wrapped up all the plot strings, but in such a heavy-handed way that it made my eyes roll. I was already ready to toss the book off a metaphorical cliff before I read the line “everything really has worked out with quite remarkable neatness; if I arranged it so at the end of one of my novels, I would surely be accused of the excessive use of coincidence,” but this really did me in.

Bleh. 2.5 stars rounded down

London, 1817.
Sir Dominic De Lacy is informed by his mother that his father, before his death, left arrangements for an arranged marriage with Maria Nightingale. Sir Dominic accepts his father's last wishes, and the two are engaged, willingly or not.
3 weeks before the wedding, at the betrothal ceremony, Sir Dominic discovers that Maria disappeared 4 days earlier; in her place is her twin sister Margaret.
Together, Dominic and Margaret investigate to find out what happened to Maria: did she run away? Does she have a lover? Is she being held against her will somewhere, and do they need to hurry before there is a scandal and she is ruined forever?
The novel is described as “super scandalous regency” ... that is, It’s spicy only the last chapter and epilogue (this is not a spoiler; this book is a romantic comedy. How do you want it to end?), but otherwise there are some hints, especially about boots and broad shoulders, but nothing special. I've read “worse.”
The story is nice; it flows well; however, at a certain point, it kind of stalls. I understand the purpose of those chapters, but, ugh, it's like the part where in Korean dramas the main couple breaks up and then gets back together two episodes before the end: really not necessary.

I enjoyed this book - it was a little slow at the start but once I got into it I couldn't put it down. I loved the premise and Meg just throwing herself into becoming her sister straight away - no questions really asked. I loved how quickly Dominic decided he would get involved. They're dynamic together was great and the build up into their romance even better.

I was gripped because there was no sign as to where Maria had ran and I WANTED to know. I am glad that she was somewhere safe and she was happy. I would love to see in the future how things went for them. I think the only struggle for me was we'd found her half way through, and it would have been nicer to have a little more of a slow burn between Meg and Dominic.

Overall I'd give it 3.5/5. It was an enjoyable read.

Oh how lovely this was. A romance that starts out rather doomed, with switched identities and the wrong people in the wrong places. There is a mystery that runs underneath the budding romance with some quirks that I saw coming (and didn't mind) and others that I didn't see coming and really enjoyed. This story bounces along beautifully, with goodies and baddies and kisses stolen in secret - it just has a feel-good feeling that makes you want to smile as you read.

Thank you, @netgalley and @boldwoodbooks, for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sir Dominic De Lacy, one of the season’s most eligible gentlemen, has recently proposed marriage to a woman he barely knows. But hey, he’s 29, and in Regency England, that means he’s practically geriatric. His intended, Miss Maria Nightingale, seems nice enough until mid-engagement, when she casually drops the bomb that she’s not Maria at all, but her identical twin, Margaret. Turns out Maria has disappeared, and Margaret has been roped into taking her place while they track her down. Naturally, she needs Dominic’s help, and naturally, chaos ensues. But even if they find Maria, there’s a bigger problem. Chemistry can’t be arranged, and Dominic might be engaged to the wrong Miss Nightingale.

At first, I wasn’t sure about this one. The opening chapters felt like a typical historical romance, and I was a little lost. But then Chapter 3 hit, and suddenly, things got interesting. A missing bride. A twin switch. An engagement built on deception. Now that’s what I’m here for.

This book checks a lot of my favorite boxes. Mystery, romance, and two absolute goldmine tropes. Fake engagement and engagement of convenience. Chef’s kiss. The twin switch added a fun twist, and while I’ve seen that play out in plenty of movies, it was refreshing to experience in a book.

I also really appreciated the LGBTQ+ representation. Love to see it in historical romance. The family drama in this book is next-level. If this were set in modern times, they’d all be in therapy by chapter five. And let’s just say the whole “hidden half-sibling” situation adds even more layers of dysfunction.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read with some great representation, but I often found myself asking why? instead of wow! It’s a solid 3/5 stars from me.

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…

A SPICY REGENCY ROMANCE FOR
BRIDGERTON FANS

📚 Book Review: A Gentleman's Offer by Emma Orchard

Rating: 4.5/5
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency Fiction
Publication Date: March 22, 2025

Review:
Emma Orchard's A Gentleman's Offer presents a Regency romance that intertwines themes of mistaken identity, familial duty, and unexpected love. Set in June 1817, the narrative follows Sir Dominic De Lacy, a distinguished gentleman who, at his father's behest, becomes engaged to Miss Maria Nightingale—a woman he scarcely knows. However, when Maria mysteriously disappears, her estranged twin sister, Meg Nightingale, is summoned to London to assume Maria's identity and uphold the family's reputation.

Meg's determination to locate her sister propels her into a partnership with Sir Dominic. As they navigate the complexities of their deceit, a genuine bond begins to form between them. The novel delves into their evolving relationship, set against the backdrop of Regency-era societal expectations and personal dilemmas.

Highlights:

Complex Characters: Meg's independence and resilience contrast with Dominic's sense of duty and honor, creating a dynamic interplay that drives the narrative.

Authentic Regency Setting: Orchard's attention to period details immerses readers in the era, from the intricacies of social etiquette to vivid descriptions of settings.

Engaging Plot: The central mystery of Maria's disappearance adds an element of intrigue, keeping readers invested in the outcome.


Considerations:
Some readers may find the novel's pacing uneven, with certain sections feeling repetitive or slow. Additionally, the depth of character introspection may not appeal to everyone, potentially hindering engagement with the protagonists.

Conclusion:
A Gentleman's Offer is a commendable addition to the Regency romance genre, offering a blend of mystery and romance. While it may not resonate with everyone, fans of historical fiction seeking a story that balances traditional romance elements with a touch of intrigue may find it an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for sending me the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The book follows Dominic, who is due to be married to Maria. However, during their engagement party. Maria confesses to Dominic she is actually Maria’s twin sister Meg, and that Maria is missing. The two make a pact to go looking for Maria.

I was really excited to start this book. The premise was great, as I love a bit of mystery in my romance. In the end, I thought it could have been better. It was packed with unnecessary text and descriptions and thoughts, that I often wondered what’s actually happening.
I did love the story though, and I liked the characters, but thought it could have been developed better. The ending seemed rushed, and the epilogue was probably not necessary in the way it was written.
It was also sprinkled with a tiny bit of spice, which helped showcase the attraction between the main characters. I was a bit surprised how quickly their attraction developed. I wasn’t sure what from really.

All in all, I liked it but didn’t love it. I’d recommend it if you enjoy historical romance. :)

I was really intrigued by this book to start and I was enjoying it. The mystery was interesting but the romance fell flat for me. Perhaps with how it was advertised I expected more tension and spice but I did not feel particularly rooting for the characters and their romance. I feel their chemistry could have been established a bit more but overall it was an okay read. Thank you net galley for the ARC!

Emma Orchard's A Gentleman's Offer is an engaging historical romance that combines charm, intrigue, and emotional depth. The novel is about Miss Maria Nightingale, a determined and independent woman who is under pressure from society in Regency England. When Sir Dominic De Lacy, a handsome and mysterious gentleman, makes an unusual offer, their worlds come together in unexpected ways. The story weaves together the strands of romance tension, personal discovery, and witty moments and propels readers along a trail of surprises and touching discoveries. Orchard skillfully spins a narrative that holds readers enthralled with the marriage of refined historic environments and real themes of love and identity. A Gentleman's Offer contains richly imagined characters that abound in realism. The transformation of the protagonist—struggling with personal conflicts and social expectations—is especially engaging. Her path is framed by the unmasking of the love interest's vulnerabilities, a dynamic and textured relationship. Fleshed out by supporting characters and their contribution of depth and complexity, subplots and vibrant interactions add to the narrative, echoing the subtlety of Regency society. Orchard's skill at developing multidimensional figures guarantees that each one resonates on an individual level with the reader.

Emma Orchard's prose is refined, evocative, and ideally suited to the era when the tale takes place. Her detail is exquisite, bringing Regency life wonderfully to life, from the lively ballrooms to peaceful moments on country estates. The dialogue is crisp and frequently infused with humor, capturing the spirit of the time without becoming inaccessible or overly dry. Orchard's skill in blending evocative prose with a relentless narrative drive prevents the tale from becoming too focused on descriptions to the detriment of its forward movement. The book also engages deeply with themes of social expectations, autonomy, and the redemptive nature of love. The conflict between doing one's duty and one's desires, along with the willingness to challenge society and accept the authentic self, is examined by the novel. By using her narrative, Orchard conveys a strong message regarding the need for vulnerability, trust, and the power of true connections. These are embedded in the story in a seamless manner, so the narrative is both thought-provoking and emotionally engaging.

The author uses a range of literary devices to add depth to the narrative, such as rich imagery, understated symbolism, and strategically placed moments of reflection. The application of Regency-era mores and social conventions as a setting lends the story authenticity and richness. The pacing is well-balanced, with romantic tension slowly building and paying off in satisfying emotional rewards. The pacing of the novel is well-handled, so that readers can be fully immersed in the characters' paths and yet have forward momentum. The organization is intelligent and consistent, and with each chapter building on the one before and raising the emotional stakes. Orchard's prose is both intelligent and accessible, making the novel a delight to read for both devotees of historical romance and those new to the genre.

A Gentleman's Offer is a masterfully written historical romance that brings together intriguing characters, a rich atmosphere, and universal themes. Emma Orchard's skill at taking readers to Regency England while bringing them a poignant and accessible love story makes this book a highlight of the genre. Though readers new to historical romance might find the pace a bit more leisurely than in contemporary contexts, the depth of characters and the period's authenticity fully make up for it. I would strongly recommend A Gentleman's Offer to historical romance fans generally, and especially those who appreciate stories of love, perseverance, and societal nonconformity set against an atmospheric and thoroughly researched backdrop.

The novel “A Gentleman’s Offer” by Emma Orchard was a really fun introduction to this author for me. I really liked her two MC’s, Meg and Dominic, their chemistry was very well written into the story and I loved the care and respect Dominic showed toward Meg. Meg was a great character that showed a lot of strength at the beginning of the story and softness in the middle. I didn’t love her jumping to conclusions at the end of the novel nor how she handled it but I really enjoyed how Dominic fought for her.

The fake engagement to save her twin sister’s reputation was an interesting take on the trope. She had to step in for her twin sister who had run away from her engagement and their father. Dominic and Meg work together to ensure that Maria is safe and end up falling for each other in the process. There were some great scenes including one in the carriage, dancing at the ball and one in a brothel that were fun with some great banter. The author had me hooked pretty much from the beginning even of the novel though I did find the pace of the story a bit slower at times. Overall a really fun read!