A lovely romance in the Regency tradition of Georgette Heyer. The Accidental Debutante is the beautifully written story of a circus girl who captures the frozen heart of a handsome Earl. As always, Jane Dunn vividly captures the atmosphere of Regency England, and presents a cast of engaging characters.
Although The Accidental Debutante definitely works as a standalone, be aware that reading this one first will give some spoilers as to the outcome of one of her previous novels, as it follows the same characters a couple of years later.
Dunn’s stories are always uplifting and gloriously romantic, and this one is no exception. It celebrates love of family, honour, and finding a sense of belonging, as much as the joy of love between a romantic couple. Sit back, suspend your disbelief and enjoy every moment.

Eliza as a main character is quite an impressive presence and wholly unladylike when it comes to her occupation and interest. She is quite skilled in equitation and tells herself she needs to be independent which I quite enjoyed. However, this book was a bit too much like a fairytale to me with all those people being so general and overly kind towards someone from a different social class.

I enjoyed aspects of this book. I enjoyed the horse aspect and the kindness of the surrounding characters; even if I find it hard to believe. I feel like more time should have been spent on Lord Purfoy to better develop his inner monologue. He seems to change his mind towards Ms Eliza out of nowhere and it all just comes off as forced. And his dialogue with Eliza didn’t present As natural. In fact I found it very awkward and hard to believe. I really liked Eliza and her character and would have loved more time on the horse, in Bath and really would have liked to see more bad happen to Davenport. I really didn’t like him. At all. But in a good way. Despite the lack of any spice, this wasn’t a bad book. It just seemed forced and the story just didn’t flow for me

Clorinda the Winged Venus, star attraction at Prebble’s Flying Circus come to the end of her act with a delicate backward flip to land on the rump of her horse Percy with a flourish. She is saddened as this is her last performance with Percy and her friend and fellow equestrian Rose Bowman.
It was time, she had decided to discover who she was, as her past seemed to start as an abandoned child, rescued by Mrs Prebbles and bought up in the Circus life. She has memories of a different childhood, which are faint but very real.
Walking the freezing streets of London in the dark was, she realised, not the best idea. As she turns away from a building, she is caught by a gust of wind just as a speeding curricle comes around the corner. Thrown into the path of the horses, she hits her head on the cobbled road with a thud.
Raven Purfoy, The Earl of Hartford Castle, leaps from his vehicle to help the stricken person only to discover this stricken person coming to her senses but with no idea where she was going or where she had come from.
He takes her to his long-time friends Alick and Cory Wolfe’s home where she can be safely cared for until she does come to her senses. Raven lives next door and the Wolfe household is a place for a large, happy group of people who gather their daily.
So begins a Regency Romance, The Accidental Debutante, laced with drama that will once again entertain and beguile as Rav learns to face his demons, and Eliza is determined to discover her past.
Can they make a future together or will they let the tragedies of the past change what could be a promising future, is at risk until Rav realises what a fool he has been, Eliza is in danger and an appalling wager will make the difference as to what their future holds.
The Accidental Debutante sees old friends grace the pages but is a standalone Regency Romance from Jane Dunn created in true Regency style.

Eliza is a circus performer in Regency-era London, a scandalous career as far as society is concerned but the only one open to her. She has no memory of her childhood before being rescued from the streets as a child, and she grew up in the circus. As an adult she chooses to leave the circus to finally find her parents. But on her way to do so, Lord Raven "Rav" Purfoy, inebriated after a night of gaming, runs over Eliza with his carriage. Oops! Taken under the wing of Lord Purfoy's friends, she soon meets Zadoc Flynn, the rich American who's also her host's cousin. Eliza longs to find her lost family, and she must navigate London society while also examining her own feelings about love and her future. I do enjoy historical romances but this was not really the book for me. The writing style was a bit formal and overly descriptive for my tastes, and I had some trouble fully engaging with the story and characters. It was an interesting premise but the story was kind of a slow starter, and there were parts that seemed far-fetched even when trying to suspend disbelief. Rav was kind of a jerk to Eliza, and Flynn was a bit over-blown in his American-ness, although thankfully they both mellowed over the course of the book. I was engaged with the mystery of Eliza's family, which is the main reason why I kept reading. The book is described as a standalone that's part of a larger series. I haven't read any of the other books but I didn't have any trouble following the story. That said, because there are characters in this story that appeared in previous books it's possible I might have enjoyed this one more if I'd read the whole series. If you're in the mood for a multi-character, family mystery, opposites-attract, quasi-love triangle, low spice historical romance, this is the book for you. Publishes June 14, 2025. This review is based on a complimentary eARC of the book, all opinions are my own.

I have enjoyed all of Jane Dunn's Regency romance books, and this one was no exception. It does revisit characters from An Unsuitable Heiress, which means certain aspects of that novel's ending will be spoiled for you, but if that doesn't bother you, this can easily be read as a standalone. I really enjoyed seeing familiar characters back again after their happy ending, their everyday lives interweaving with and supporting Eliza and Raven's story. Said story felt like it wrapped up a bit quickly for me, but any idiosyncracies were absolved for me when I read that Dunn's intent was to make this book celebrate love in all its forms (including grief, the other side of the coin), which it definitely does and which we definitely need right now. Overall, I highly recommend this latest release.

I absolutely loved this from the very first page! The way the characters interacted and how their individual personalities were portrayed and shaped the story was in my opinion brilliantly written. When Eliza Gray falls in front of Lord Purfoy’s carriage she has no idea how much her life is going to change. Raven, Lord Purfoy, immediately takes her to his good friends Alick and Corinna Wolfe to tend to her needs. The Wolfe’s assist Eliza in being entered into society and she finds herself the centre of attention but she also receives some unwelcome advances. Raven has always sworn to never marry and Eliza is determined to find out who she really is but as their relationship develops will these things still stand? I devoured this wonderful story and found that it had a bit of everything from drama, to romance to heartbreak. I highly recommend reading this. Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC

a brilliant regency romance and so much more.
Eliza was a great character. she had will,determination and yet was vulnerable at times due to circumstance that were never her fault. watching her navigate her feelings around her future and even who she is in the present felt relatable to anyone with those same questions.
because Eliza doesnt know her own family and instead has grown up as a performer in the circus. but after a fateful accident she gets guidance from kind sources who get her into the London high season and society. but there is much more than knowing herself to navigate here, she has to mingle with those she doesnt know she can trust or are just out for a gossip or worse.
she finds herself getting mixed with an heir who wants a prize wife and a prize racehorse(not sure which order he prefers!) but there is also that man who helped her start her place in the society. and also the friends she has met and been nothing but kind to her along the way. who will help ELiza find who she is, who she can be, or just that she is ok as she is and so start from there. and where will she finally find her home?
another great book of a time we never knew but this genre has helped us see in all its glory,

The premise was interesting, but the whole story was ruined for me because the hero was rather unlikeable. He keeps making snide comments to the heroine indicating that he knows she didn’t lose her memory. He is attracted to her, but he doesn’t want to fall in love because of an earlier family tragedy. He makes obnoxious comments to his best friend about his family and love for his wife. All he cares about are his horses. He’s just living the boring, meaningless life of the rich. And the heroine falls for him because he somehow reminds her of the horse she had to leave when she fled the circus. Huh? It was all rather disappointing and a bit tedious.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

This excellent Regency ia perfect for those who are Bridgerton fans or just love Regency fiction in general. Readers will be intrigued by Eliza's journey into reentering high society after spending most of her life living a different lifestyle. However, will the secrets of Eliza's past be too much to handle.
Eliza Gray has spent most of her childhood in a group of circus performers deciding that she has had enough she decides to leave. Her escape works out pretty well until she is hit by a carriage. Thankfully a kind Earl was passing by and comes to her rescue.The kind stranger then arranges to have to her stay with some friends until she feels better.
While staying with these newfound friends and venturing into society Eliza starts to uncover her past. However, she discovers that her birth mother had some own secrets of her own and soon Eliza finds out what really happened that caused her to be separated from her real family. Will she be able to overcome and move on or will she just go back to her old life? Overall this was a very lovely regency story.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

The Accidental Debutante is a regency romance by author Jane Dunn, and although it wasn't terrible, it wasn't my cup of tea.

I found the story of Eliza Gray, a circus performer who is looking for her family to be more than a little bit unbelievable considering the time period in which the story was set. I am not a huge stickler for details being perfect in historical romance, but I just didn't believe that society would be so accepting of a circus performer, and she didn't try to hide it from most of the people she met.

Also, I don't want to mention specific spoilers for other readers, but one of the reveals in the novel was just so unbelievable. That she would attach herself to this one person and then to have that person revealed to be who they were was a bit much for me.

As I said I don't want to spoil things for other readers, so I'll just say this was not the book for me, although I think that some people will enjoy it.

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

As a huge fan of Jane Dunn, I found The Accidental Debutante, at times seemed to drag or a "new" problem was introduced into the plot that was not necessary. The hero was very conflicted which came across as uninterested although his was a great story. I enjoyed Eliza's story of courage for fortitude and a look back at other characters from previous story-lines. Free ARC read from NetGalley for honest review.

This was an interesting change of pace from most of the historicals I have read. Eliza is part of a traveling circus, although she longs to get away from the exhausting schedule. She does get away, but has an accident and is cared for by a kind earl. From there things get a little dicey as Eliza finds herself in a love triangle and must make some difficult decisions.

Eliza has spent years as a highly skilled acrobat on horseback after becoming lost as a child and ‘adopted’ by a travelling circus. She longs to find out about her former life and leave behind the punishing schedule of performance. When she escapes she is run over by an Earl who then arranged for her to stay with friends. Thus starts her journey of discovery and introduction into high society. On the way she confronts disappointment and is faced with a love triangle where 2 men express their admiration for her. Just when she thinks all is lost and disappointing, such that she has to return to the circus, the man she feels a passion for comes to her aid. The storyline is absorbing and the characters are great. The book makes a strong point about the hypocrisy of some members of the ton and then portrays the female characters as far more strong and courageous than they are given credit for. These points make this a thoroughly enjoyable read.

I'll admit it took me a while to get into this book but after the first third I was hooked and couldn't stop reading. Eliza's wit, charm and tenacity were a breath of fresh air, and as a horse girl myself I loved her background from riding/vaulting in the circus. An absolute joy.

Eliza Gray, a daring performer at Prebbles Flying Circus, mesmerises audiences with her horseback feats. Yet beneath the applause, she yearns to discover her lost family and true identity. Fate intervenes when she is accidentally knocked down by Raven, Earl Purfoy, whose remorse leads him to aid her. Under the guidance of his close friends, Corinna and Alick Wolfe, Eliza enters the dazzling world of London society. Navigating its treacherous gossip and social intrigue, she finds herself entangled with Zadoc Flynn, an American heir seeking both a prized racehorse and an English bride. As Eliza searches for her past and her rightful place, she must decide who—Flynn, Purfoy, or her newfound friends—will truly help her uncover the life she desires.
This was a cute story and the premise was interesting. The first half was well paced and I liked Eliza and Rav as the main leads. There are quite a few plot points – Eliza’s search for her family, the horse race and Eliza's deception, finding a long lost sister, the conflict with the villain, Raven’s reluctance to open his heart. Although the reader is carried along with Eliza and her search I did feel that it was a little disjointed. The matter of her search for her family was resolved quickly but unsatisfactorily. The connection between Eliza and Rav is instant and I never felt that Flynn would come between them but I felt the romance lacked a little something. I definitely preferred the first half. I think there were so many plot points that each one needed more focus rather than skimming across it. Just as an example - the villain accosted Eliza towards the end, she was saved by her friend and then it was never mentioned again.
Overall, I did enjoy the story though. It had likeable leads and it was well written. I received an advanced review copy via Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Three and a half stars rounded up.

If you love horses or the idea of horses, this is the historical romance for you. There's a lot of equine references to actual horses and how people are like horses. Honestly I think the main character fell for the leading man because of his horse. I think she may have loved his horse more than him.

5 stars

Interesting premise, our heroine has been in the circus since she was 7. They taught her to do tricks on horses. She rides her favourite horse, Percy bare back. She decided to run away as she wants to find her family. Eliza has vague memories of a mother and father in Bath and losing her nurse. She leaves disguised as a old woman, turns the corner and is almost run over by Raven, Earl Purfoy who despite his tiger, Taz advice is driving whilst drunk. In a panic he takes the woman to his friends place. We have put his friends in other books. This nicely links to An Unsuitable Heiress.
Its lovely to see how Cory, Alick and Ferdy are getting on. This is obviously the book when Raven meets his match. Entertaining and I'd recommend this author.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

My first book by this author, def not my.last. it was cute, and sweet. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

Such an orignal book. The story takes us from riding bare back and flying on a favourite horse in the circus to dancing waltzes with Lords in the London ballrooms. Eliza and Rav are great characters, with real flaws of stubbornness, pride and issues of trust. Eliza is strong willed and has to dig deep to keep going when she upends her life looking for meaning and a home. Rav has lived with his pain for so long thwt she no longer knows how to love or hope without it. They are both working out how to live in society with its cruelty and worry over reputations. The romance is well told and the subplot and dastardly mystery is fun to read too.