Not the Duke’s Darling by Elizabeth Hoyt 

Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
Publish Date:  December 18, 2018
Synopsis: Freya de Moray is many things: a member of the secret order of Wise Women, the daughter of disgraced nobility, and a chaperone living under an assumed name. What she is not is forgiving. So when the Duke of Harlowe, the man who destroyed her brother and led to the downfall of her family, appears at the country house party she’s attending, she does what any Wise Woman would do: she starts planning her revenge.

Christopher Renshaw, the Duke of Harlowe, is being blackmailed. Intent on keeping his secrets safe, he agrees to attend a house party where he will put an end to this coercion once and for all. Until he recognizes Freya, masquerading among the party revelers, and realizes his troubles have just begun. Freya knows all about his sins-sins he’d much rather forget. But she’s also fiery, bold, and sensuous-a temptation he can’t resist. When it becomes clear Freya is in grave danger, he’ll risk everything to keep her safe. But first, he will have to earn Freya’s trust…by whatever means necessary.

Disclosure: ARC provided for an honest review. #partner

I enjoy historical romances, especially those with a bit of intrigue and mystery. I find that heroines written in this era to be fascinating, mostly because of the obstacles they face within the society and within themselves. It’s a testament to these women, in fiction and in reality.

Not the Duke’s Darling is simply about secrets. With a blight in an unfortunate past, Freya has had to alter her future. She is a chaperone living her life with a false name, a member of the the secretive Wise Women, and disgraced from nobility and the ton. The Duke of Harlowe, Christopher has been threatened with blackmail if he does not pay for those secrets. To keep them safe, he attends a party to end his troubles. And so starts this adventure.

I enjoyed Freya, her tenacity, and her gumption. It isn’t everyday that I read a story with a secret order composed of Women. This story is filled with secrets, and Freya slowly reveals those secrets one detail at a time. Christopher was fun to get to know. His past certainly increased the intensity of the plot, but I felt there were a few tidbits here and there that didn’t need to be largely focused on.

I enjoyed the overall plot of secrecy, spies, and scandal, but felt that there was something missing. Compared to Hoyt’s other stories, this didn’t have the romance that I was used to. And maybe that is unfair of me to say, but it is also something that I had come to expect. The relationship between Freya and Christopher wasn’t filled with the heat and passion that I needed.

I appreciated the story and the plot. Overall, I enjoyed it, and would continue to read the series.

*Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.*