A Baron's Son is Undone by Olivia Elliott is a historical romance novel. The book is set in the Victorian era and follows the life of Julian Ashford, the son of a baron. His life is altered after a significant event, which causes him to re-evaluate his life and family expectations. The plot follows Julian's interactions with a woman named Clara. The book is written in a straightforward style and presents a narrative about duty and personal choice. It was enjoyable enough

This was a first time read for me by this author and the story completely swept me away into the windswept cliffs of Cornwall and the corset-strained drawing rooms of England’s upper crust. On its surface, the story might look like your typical opposites-attract Regency romance—but don’t be fooled. There’s a depth of emotional tension and thematic darkness here that makes it far more than just a breezy historical fling.

George Pemberton, our hero, is as emotionally knotted as his cravat. Rigid, wounded, and controlled almost to a fault, he’s one of those characters whose pain leaks out in brief, feral moments—moments that become all the more powerful because of how tightly he otherwise holds himself. The author crafts him with remarkable subtlety; you can feel the weight he’s carrying, even when it’s left unnamed.

Then there’s Sophie, the banished daughter of a pirate. She’s a breath of fresh air in a story soaked with restraint. Her joy is hard-won, her sass feels earned, and despite her forced exile and lack of future prospects, she never loses her spark. I loved her defiance in the face of her circumstances, even as danger and judgment lurk at every corner.

Their connection was deliciously slow-burn and complicated. There’s genuine intimacy here—emotional before it’s physical—and I loved how their secrets didn’t just function as plot devices but as real psychological barriers they had to work through. The romantic tension is laced with both tenderness and yearning (and yes, when things do get steamy, the payoff is worth the wait).

If you like your Regency romances with a darker undercurrent, messy hearts, and characters who learn to fight for their own light, then this is absolutely worth your time.

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Publishing date: 04.04.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: A very sweet, slightly spicy, regency era romance with boundaries and accomodation take the center stage. 4 stars

This book centers on a couple which consists of a disgraced "baron's son" and a disgraced "pirate's daughter". Both have dysfunctional family dynamics and deep rooted issues which gets explored throughout the book.

The couple here? So sweet. They take their time with each other, respect each others boundaries, but also tease and have fun. That line can be really hard to manage (having fun and respecting boundaries), but it was very well written here. The overall relationship works well, but feels a little rushed. While yes there are plot reasons for the rush, I wish it was a little slower.

Plot is fine. The "villain" kept being teased and teased and wasn't shown before like 70% to 80% deep. I wish we had more time to explore that character and the dynamics between them and our characters. But I guess sacrificing pages for the romance is more important in a romance novel ...

My only complaint in this book ... Warning, this is a slight spoiler!!!
The ending. It has a certain trope which I have often complained about before in earlier reviews of other romance books. Without saying it out loud ... a happy family. If you know you know. While it has it's place, I wish the ending here was more open ended, especially becasue of the characters specific traumas.

I think this book fits for the regency girlies who like to get to the courting quickly. There is not that much spice. The blurb mentions pirates, but there is no trace of them. Don't get te book for pirates, you will be disappointed.

Nice little book. I did not realise this was book 3 when I got the ARC, but I am interested in reading the other two. Giving this 4 stars.

Enjoyable historical romance with interesting but complicated characters and an intriguing storyline.

Life for George Pemberton is orderly, but he hides a secret. It is this secret that will send him over the edge, causing him to pummel anyone up for a fight. Sophie is the daughter of a pirate and has been seconded to Cornwall to keep her away from prying eyes and wagging tongues. As her future is not her own, she is determined to make the most of life. When her father’s hired man, Duncan allows her out to the tavern at night, she finds solace in people she meets and the occasional game of dice or cards. When George encounters Sophie milling about with women of ill repute and working men in a Cornish tavern, he is intrigued by her. Yet, he can see a kindred spirit in that she also has secrets that pain her. One night, Sophie encounters Mr. Pemberton stripped to the waist and covered in blood after a fight, and she finds herself thrilled by what she sees.
This is a story that finds two unlikely people meeting and finding love despite their past. Sophie has experienced an assault in her past, and this is handled with care by the author. What was so lovely about this book is the care and love that they have for each other and how their relationship grows as they begin to trust each other. Their past hurts also diminish in intensity as their relationship thrives. I must admit that Duncan was a delightful character that added just something more to this story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars.
“A Baron’s Son is Undone”, by Olivia Elliott is a lovely, well-written historical romance, with a guarded, tortured hero and an unconventional heroine, who meet and fall in love in unexpected circumstances.
The leads are likeable, relatable and well developed. I loved the hero, George, who apparently has been living with something dreadful weighing him down, but neverthless is a caring, empathetic person.
The characterization as a person loving order, tidiness, efficiency, suggests a specific condition, but it was not explored as I was expecting.
I liked how his mild sadness/depression? is so constant and how Duncan smartly notices it. But George is also very responsible and aware of his duties.
With a heroine full of grit, the atypical romance is also interesting.
Besides the love story, I enjoyed the other human interactions and meeting again characters from “A Soldier and his Rules”.

Such a great read from Olivia Elliot! As with her first two books, it's thoughtful and a little bit melancholy - but so satisfying.

Set in Cornwall during the Regency, Sophie has been sent there by her (mysterious) father. We gradually find out she is a survivor of an intimate assault and this is handled sensitively by author Olivia – I don’t remember another romance where this done so beautifully. George Pemberton is also visiting Cornwall. He's a beta hero, traumatised by an event from his childhood and he manages his feelings by brawling, witnessed by Olivia. George and Sophie meet in the local tavern and this space is the backdrop for them falling in love.

By half way, George and Sophie are married and the rest of the novel focuses on them navigating their families and finding intimacy - especially for Sophie. George's family are not impressed by his sudden marriage and Sophie's father is a big problem, so there's plenty going on.

Their love is not in doubt, more that they need to learn how to give of themselves and what intimacy and trust mean for each of them. Olivia writes such delicious small moments - the fight scenes, Sophie swimming in the ocean, the glass shop, the slugs (hilarious Aunt Evelyn 😄), Sophie’s red dress, the nastiness of Sophie's father. Shoutout to Duncan, Sophie's minder! All these little scenes bring everything together and I was cheering for them by the end.

Also lovely to see Patience and Richard from 'A Soldier and His Rules' - although this is a standalone.

Thank you Olivia Elliot, Books Go Social and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.