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chicksroguesandscandals's review against another edition
5.0
I am a huge Elizabeth Hoyt fan and have been for years, I am always so excited whenever there is a new book of hers out. We all know that whenever a favourite author releases a completely new series you do wonder if it will be as good as the previous, whether it will enthral you as much as your favourite book did, unfortunately at times that doesn’t always happen. Even though this doesn’t have the same oomph and that much loved Hoyt magical touch that we have all come to know does seems to be a bit off, but I can happily say it does pack a punch and it is still a hugely enjoyable read, I was particularly fascinated by the ‘Wise Women’ part of the plot and I would love to see more of them in following books.
Freya de Moray; daughter and sister of a Duke she is now living her life under cover as a companion – for reasons that you will have to read the book to find out why. She is also apart of the very secret all woman group called the Wise Women, who are in all essence classed as witches (but not in the evil hags of Macbeth, these women are good) I love this part of the plot, the whole story surrounded them and the witch hunters is fascinating and a great addition to the story. Freya has a task that she can only achieve if she attends a house party, unfortunately at the same party the man she sees as the one who ruined her family’s life is also in attendance. And unfortunately for the devilishly handsome Duke of Harlowe, Freya holds a grudge. She’s reminds me of a raven in that respect!
Christopher Renshaw; Duke of Harlowe, after recently gaining the title and retuning from his mysterious jaunt in India is back, all he wants is to retreat to the safety of his home and never face society again, unfortunately there are some who have other idea’s. He soon finds himself blackmailed, his late wife’s memory and honour are on the line, but more than that secrets he has long held close to his heart could be revealed. Christopher is a proud, secretive man who will do anything in his power to protect all his loves. He has no choice but to attend a house party where he plans to finally put an end to those that are plotting against him. Which is where he finds himself entangled with the acid tongued, fiery and mysterious Freya Stewart, who he goes to head to head with on far more occasions then he would have liked and yet he can’t seem to keep away from her.
Christopher is supremely handsome – really he is an amazing man; he has been through his fair share of scandal and loss which has made him darker but I love that, he is protective, gentle, brooding, gruff, always respectful even when he being threatening, plus the love his shows his constant companion; Tess is beautiful. I fell completely in love with him, but he is also damaged, after his experiences in India – which are as mysterious as the man himself – he is now suffering with what we would now call PTSD. He is fragile and scared, Ms Hoyt has handled Christopher’s illness with the up-most care and sensitivity, it’s not pushed into the readers face at every turn, from the moment we meet Christopher there is a subtle undercurrent that makes you think; there is something about this man that makes my heart hurt and I want to give him a huge hug.
As I said at the start of the review, it is indeed missing a certain something, I can’t quite put my finger on what, but it doesn’t quite have that same magic what the likes of ‘Maiden Lane’ did. But it’s still a brilliant book and I can see it getting better and stronger as the series progresses, and I am looking forward to seeing where this series goes and getting to know more of the character’s that pop up in this one.
The characters are wonderfully drawn up, the chemistry between Christopher and Freya is fun and sexy they both have the best fiery and temperamental personalities that do clash in the best way, the bickering and bantering between them is high voltage, fun, snarky, tense, sexy as well as tender and gentle. They are both flawed creatures, but seeing them finally be able to open up and be themselves with another person who understands them. The plot is edge of your seat there is so much going on from blackmail, murder, witch hunts and family trauma. It’s witty, dark, fun and emotional, It will keep you glued from the moment Freya unceremoniously jumps into Christopher’s moving carriage right up to the very last satisfying page.
Very recommended for those who love a historical romance with a touch of suspense.
Freya de Moray; daughter and sister of a Duke she is now living her life under cover as a companion – for reasons that you will have to read the book to find out why. She is also apart of the very secret all woman group called the Wise Women, who are in all essence classed as witches (but not in the evil hags of Macbeth, these women are good) I love this part of the plot, the whole story surrounded them and the witch hunters is fascinating and a great addition to the story. Freya has a task that she can only achieve if she attends a house party, unfortunately at the same party the man she sees as the one who ruined her family’s life is also in attendance. And unfortunately for the devilishly handsome Duke of Harlowe, Freya holds a grudge. She’s reminds me of a raven in that respect!
Christopher Renshaw; Duke of Harlowe, after recently gaining the title and retuning from his mysterious jaunt in India is back, all he wants is to retreat to the safety of his home and never face society again, unfortunately there are some who have other idea’s. He soon finds himself blackmailed, his late wife’s memory and honour are on the line, but more than that secrets he has long held close to his heart could be revealed. Christopher is a proud, secretive man who will do anything in his power to protect all his loves. He has no choice but to attend a house party where he plans to finally put an end to those that are plotting against him. Which is where he finds himself entangled with the acid tongued, fiery and mysterious Freya Stewart, who he goes to head to head with on far more occasions then he would have liked and yet he can’t seem to keep away from her.
Christopher is supremely handsome – really he is an amazing man; he has been through his fair share of scandal and loss which has made him darker but I love that, he is protective, gentle, brooding, gruff, always respectful even when he being threatening, plus the love his shows his constant companion; Tess is beautiful. I fell completely in love with him, but he is also damaged, after his experiences in India – which are as mysterious as the man himself – he is now suffering with what we would now call PTSD. He is fragile and scared, Ms Hoyt has handled Christopher’s illness with the up-most care and sensitivity, it’s not pushed into the readers face at every turn, from the moment we meet Christopher there is a subtle undercurrent that makes you think; there is something about this man that makes my heart hurt and I want to give him a huge hug.
As I said at the start of the review, it is indeed missing a certain something, I can’t quite put my finger on what, but it doesn’t quite have that same magic what the likes of ‘Maiden Lane’ did. But it’s still a brilliant book and I can see it getting better and stronger as the series progresses, and I am looking forward to seeing where this series goes and getting to know more of the character’s that pop up in this one.
The characters are wonderfully drawn up, the chemistry between Christopher and Freya is fun and sexy they both have the best fiery and temperamental personalities that do clash in the best way, the bickering and bantering between them is high voltage, fun, snarky, tense, sexy as well as tender and gentle. They are both flawed creatures, but seeing them finally be able to open up and be themselves with another person who understands them. The plot is edge of your seat there is so much going on from blackmail, murder, witch hunts and family trauma. It’s witty, dark, fun and emotional, It will keep you glued from the moment Freya unceremoniously jumps into Christopher’s moving carriage right up to the very last satisfying page.
Very recommended for those who love a historical romance with a touch of suspense.
alysonc's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jess_justmaybeperfect's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Best friend’s sister meets unspeakable (and yet to be solved) murder mystery meets avenging “witches” meets f*ck the patriarchy.
A very fun, super hot, start to what I imagine will be another great series.
Lots of setting the scene for the series in the first half and the romance takes some time to get started.
A very fun, super hot, start to what I imagine will be another great series.
Lots of setting the scene for the series in the first half and the romance takes some time to get started.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Colonisation, and War
megatza's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Not the Duke's Darling definitely falls into a series setup pitfall. The first third is so full of new characters and familial ties and backstory that I was often confused at POV switches. That said, once I got past the initial confusion, I really loved the romance and, obviously, Hoyt's signature heat.
Hoyt tends to feel like a bridge for me between old school and newer historical romances, and one thing I loved (having read most of her backlist) is that she's inventing new ways in this series for her characters to be relatable to readers now without losing historical integrity. Having the Wise Women and witches in Scotland as a means for giving Freya the language to express her need for independence works really well. And, as is often the case, we do have an excellent kidnapping.
While the book is quite hot, there's a little bit of forced chemistry for me between Christopher and Freya, making our Duke a little less ducal than some of Hoyt's heroes. He's probably the most insightful Hoyt hero I've read though, and I appreciate that too.
Hoyt tends to feel like a bridge for me between old school and newer historical romances, and one thing I loved (having read most of her backlist) is that she's inventing new ways in this series for her characters to be relatable to readers now without losing historical integrity. Having the Wise Women and witches in Scotland as a means for giving Freya the language to express her need for independence works really well. And, as is often the case, we do have an excellent kidnapping.
While the book is quite hot, there's a little bit of forced chemistry for me between Christopher and Freya, making our Duke a little less ducal than some of Hoyt's heroes. He's probably the most insightful Hoyt hero I've read though, and I appreciate that too.
labellafigura's review
3.0
I thought this was an early Elizabeth Holt book based on some of the descriptions and language. It reads quite dated for a 2018 publication.
emmapants's review
4.0
I really thoroughly enjoyed this book. My first Elizabeth Hoyt in many years (and possibly second ever) and I thought she absolutely brought it. Georgian-set romances aren’t as common as Regency era, so it’s a delight to come across, and the dark backstory of these collective characters was compelling and intriguing. It was interesting that Messalina got some POV time in this book, in addition to our main characters, so I’m even more looking forward to reading her story next.
The one thing I have to note is how tonally off this cover seems for this story. The bright sunshine, full faces, red dress— none of it fit with the story for me, and I was surprised when I realized how dark parts of the story are. The cover reads fluffy fun romance, and this is much more serious than that.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the copy of this book to review!
The one thing I have to note is how tonally off this cover seems for this story. The bright sunshine, full faces, red dress— none of it fit with the story for me, and I was surprised when I realized how dark parts of the story are. The cover reads fluffy fun romance, and this is much more serious than that.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the copy of this book to review!
haithar's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I see why people say this is a very average book because it is. Maybe it's the first book of a series syndrome where there were many unfulfilled plot lines so it felt unfinished. I did enjoy the hero and heroine dynamics even if it did get tiring. There was just too much of everything, too many characters and drama that I didn't care for, but I loved the heroine forward focus of her undressing him and her taking the lead in many encounters.
librarydancer's review against another edition
2.0
Maybe 1 1/2 stars.
Parts of this book had some promise, but most of the conflict was just dropped.
Parts of this book had some promise, but most of the conflict was just dropped.