Lady Olivia, the youngest sister of the Earl of Castleton, has no patience for the boring gentlemen of aristocratic society. She longs for a more adventurous life like the ladies who visit the Raven Club. But her plans are thwarted when her family drags her to a country house party to meet the elusive Duke of Keswick. Tristan Cameron, the Duke of Keswick, finds Olivia in his stables. She … She believes him to be the stable master, and he doesn’t dissuade her of the notion. He has no interest in entertaining one of the spoiled, self-indulgent ladies who’ve invaded his home. Except, Olivia is neither of those things, and their shared kiss during a ride results in combustible passion.
And a potential scandal.
Olivia is relieved when the handsome stable master comes to her aid as her alibi, but that relief fades to anger when she suddenly finds herself betrothed to the harsh, foul-tempered duke.
Tristan believes he’s been trapped by a scheming, title-seeking lady. To make matters worse, she’s utterly captivating. He plans on leaving her behind in the country immediately after their vows, but Tristan soon finds himself battling temptation and Olivia’s stubborn determination to be the Duchess he doesn’t believe he deserves…
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I loved Olivia and Tristan’s story!
Their meet cute was fun–bonding over a mutual love of horses, though there is that pesky detail where she thinks he’s the head groom and he’s really the duke–until it all backfires into a rushed marriage to save her reputation. Don’t you just hate when that happens?
Yeah, me neither. 😉
I liked that Olivia stood up for herself (with a little encouragement from Tristan’s grandmother and her sister Ellie) and didn’t let her new husband hide her away in the country. She also figured out a way to help her husband in Parliament, even though he hadn’t been confiding his difficulties to her at that point. She is definitely exactly what he needed–grandma was right about that! The villain of the piece was well done–I’d had a few inklings early on that things might not be quite as they seemed, but definitely didn’t expect to see what happened there. And thank goodness all the drama gave Tristan the push he needed to really let Olivia in at last, because he was killing me there…
How to Capture a Duke is the third book in the series, but it would work fine as a standalone. (Confession time: I’ve only read books 2 and 3. I really need to get to Ian’s story ASAP…)
Rating: 4 stars / A-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Expect to do nothing else for about 4 or 5 hours, since you’ll be reading this book and can’t put it down.
A house party at Rosehill in Kent, a restless young lady named Olivia, a beautiful horse named Atlas, a handsome stable groom and a beautiful necklace. Suddenly Olivia finds herself married to the groom, only the groom is the Duke of Keswick who’s been hiding from his grandmother’s house party. Ridiculed as The Stuttering Duke, Tristan has been tormented his entire life for his speech. Fearing his own child having the impediment, he didn’t want marriage and children. Olivia is stubborn enough to try to change her husband’s mind, but someone is trying to thwart any progress she makes and to discredit Tristan’s work in the House Of Lords.
A definite 5 Stars plus more read!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
Enjoyed this book. Ms. Gabrielle deftly and empathetically handles the story of a Duke who has been bullied from childhood to adulthood because of a stammer.
Can two people unexpectedly thrown together be happy?
Lady Olivia Swift is not your typical lady. She longs for adventure and when forced to go to a house party with her family to meet the Duke of Keswick, along with other husband seeking debutantes. She escapes to the stables and hopes she has a little time before anyone discovers she is gone. Then she spots him, a beautiful stallion, magnificent. But before she can touch him she is stopped by the groom.
Tristan Cameron, the fourth Duke of Keswick, was very aggravated that his grandmother had insisted on hosting the house party so he could find a wife. But with his moniker “the stuttering Duke” he just wanted to be left alone. But when he meets Olivia, who thinks he is the groom and later rides with her, he finds her different.
Things change when they are forced into marriage and Olivia has only ever wanted to find love like her siblings and be happy. When Tristan thinks she trapped him and is unhappy. But she is determined and he may just find Olivia is perfect for him
A wonderful story about acceptance of yourself and letting others into your life. Learning to trust and finding that love can be found when least expected… I read this through NetGallery and the wonderful publisher
How to Capture a DukE
The Ravens Club series #3
by Tina Gabrielle
Lady Olivia, is the youngest sister of the Earl of Castleton, she’s not the conventional young debutante but then what do you expect when your family owns the notorious Raven Club! She loves to ride hell bent for leather and can only dream of a marriage like the ones her siblings have….a love match!
Tristan Cameron, the Duke of Keswick, finds Olivia in his stables, when she mistakenly thinks he’s the head groom and share a daring kiss, well let’s just say that someone thinks they’ve been tricked and someone feels like a fool.
Things are never what they seem and Olivia and Tristan have long way before they get to their HEA he really needs to let go of his mistrust issues and just trust that love will win!
I adored this quick read it is fast paced with lots of emotion that will pull the heartstrings!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinion.
Lady Olivia Swift and Tristian Cameron, the Duke of Keswick met by chance when Olivia, who is attending his grandmother’s house party, escapes out the stables. She mistakes Tristian for a groom and he makes no attempt to correct her. When she comes back to the stables to ride, Tristian accompanies her and they share a kiss. Later when Olivia is accused of a crime, she names Tristian as her alibi. This leads to a hasty marriage of convenience.
Tristian has a speech impediment, he stutters and has been shamed and ridiculed for a good portion of his life. He keeps to himself and has refused to marry and have children. He is content to let his cousin Spencer inherit. He is enraged and believes that Olivia trapped him into marriage – he makes it clear on their wedding day that he will never be a true husband – he then proceeds to tell her she is to stay in the country and leaves for London.
At first Olivia is devastated, but his grandmother sets her straight and sends her off to London. Once there Olivia meets Spencer and learns that Tristian never plans to father children, she is stunned, especially after she saw him interact with her niece and nephew, she knew he was angry, but assumed eventually he would want an heir. When she confronts him, he confirms, he will not share her bed. Olivia doesn’t give up and enriches Tristian’s life in many ways. For his part, Tristian wants Olivia, but he is not willing to risk having a child, yet the more time he spends with her, the more he is falling under her spell and finally gives in to his desire, but almost immediately regrets it and stubbornly refrains from physical contact, but still spends time with her. Olivia is encouraged and is ready to tell him she loves him and to share her secret, but her hopes of a HEA are shattered when someone leaks a secret about Tristian to the papers and he immediately accuses her and her sister. It is the proverbial straw and leads her to leave him. Will he finally open his eyes and see Olivia is perfect for him or will he keep them closed and lose the love of a lifetime?
The idea of this story was good – mistaken identity, marriage of convenience and a hero who has to overcome emotional and physical impediments – but for me, it fell flat and I place that blame squarely on Tristian, he was such a jerk to her, always assuming the worst and pushing her away, right up until the last chapter and then he did a complete about-face about everything – I just didn’t believe it. There were also formal address issues and I was not happy that the reader never finds out what happened to the villain. Otherwise, it was well written and the story had a lot of potential and if I had been able to connect with Tristian, I might have felt differently, because Olivia was great and I LOVED Ellie in this book.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*
Tristan Cameron, the Duke of Keswick, abhors society events and especially house parties, but when his mother arranges a house party with eligible ladies wanting to wed, Tristan makes it a point to hide out in the stables. When Lady Olivia comes into the stable requesting to ride Tristan’s stallion, he tells her no, but when she comes back the next day, he concedes and saddles a mare for her to ride. They spend a lovely afternoon together riding and it ends with a sizzling kiss. When Olivia is accused of stealing a necklace, she brings his mother to the stables and points out her alibi, the stable master. She is horrified to learn the stable master is indeed the duke. To avoid scandal, they are betrothed and married with a week. Tristan is angry that Olivia trapped him in marriage and plans to leave her alone in the country while he goes to London. He will never forgive her for her deception despite her pleas she did not trap him. When Olivia shows up in London, can he resist the beautiful young woman who is now determined to be his wife in more than name only.
This was an enjoyable read. Ms. Gabrielle lets the author inside both the hero and heroine’s thoughts–Tristan is angry he was trapped and Olivia is angry that she had no choice in marrying the duke in the first place. I could understand both their positions and wondered if they could overcome their anger toward each other. Having Tristan worried about passing on his stuttering to his child kept him isolated for so long, but Olivia is determined to show Tristan that he was so much more than his stuttering.
I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own. (
Tristan Cameron, the Duke of Keswick, and Lady Olivia Swift met at a house party held on his estate. Neither wanted to be there. When they met in the stables, Olivia mistook him for a groom, and Tristan didn’t correct her. Accused of theft, Olivia said she was out of the house when the incident happened, and that the groom could vouch for her. When it is discovered that the “groom” is Tristan and that the two of them had been out unchaperoned, her mother and his grandmother insist that they marry. Thinking he’d been tricked, but seeing no way out, Tristan goes through with the wedding and promptly leaves for London without Olivia. She follows him, determined to make the best of their situation. No matter what she does, Tristan resists. She gives up and goes to tell her sister she is leaving. She never makes it. Where is she? Will Tristan realize too late that she is exactly what he needs and wants?
Tristan is an honorable man and cares for and helps others, especially veterans and others with disabilities. Bullied in school and called the “Stuttering Duke,” he avoids interaction with society. He fulfills his Parliamentary obligation, but cannot bring himself to speak on things his feels are important. Olivia is independent and adventurous. She supports Tristan completely. Antonia, Tristan’s grandmother, and Olivia’s family, especially her sister, encourage her efforts with him. The villain (besides the bullies) might surprise you. How to Capture a Duke is a well written emotional story. It is essentially a journey to acceptance, especially for Tristan, whose greatest challenge is to accept himself as he is. Happy ever after might be possible, but it will be a tough trip. The epilogue ties everything up nicely. I enjoyed this story. I like the series.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.
I really, really liked this book.
“How to capture a duke” was captivating, warm, sweet, but also heartbreaking and hard to read at some points! Let’s just say it hit me in the feels.
This is The story of the “stuttering Duke” and how the love and support of a woman helped him overcome his mistrust of people and escape his loneliness.
Tristan, Duke of Keswick, has been tormented his whole life because of his stuttering. First by his mother who was sure it was an illness but when he could not be cured she sent him away to Eton and became cold and distant to him. Second by his classmates who bullied him both physically and mentally. The only persons he trusts is his Grandmother, The Dowager of Keswick, and his cousin, Lord Spencer Jeffries, who he has made his heir since he will not produce an heir himself. He is cold and distant on the outside, but as we get to know him throughout the story you realize that he has a heart of gold and he wants to help as many people in need as he can.
Olivia is a true and honest person who only wants to marry for love and have a lot of children. But when she is forced to marry the Duke of Keswick after an unforeseen encounter, she has to fight for her dream to come true. And fight she does. She does everything she can to help him understand that he can trust her and that his stuttering doesn’t make him incapable of living a normal life. But is it too late in the end?
I love this couple together and I loved the side characters too. But I thought the story was a little too long and dragged out at some points, so the pacing didn’t totally fit in my point of view and that is why I only give it 4 stars.
I can definitely recommend this book.
I got this book from Entangled Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
How to Capture a Duke by Tina Gabrielle is the story of Tristan Cameron, the Duke of Keswick and Lady Olivia. Olivia enjoys her freedom and doesn’t want to be married but her family has other thoughts. Tristan doesn’t like the town nor the ladies trying to be a his Duchess. Olivia is forced to attend a house party to meet the Duke but instead she meets who she thinks is just a normal person. When they share a fast connection and friendship it in ends up leading to another misunderstand but this time with marriage.
Enjoyed their story.
As the sister of the Earl of Castleton, Lady Olivia Swift is expected to marry well, but all she truly wants is a love match like both her siblings share. Her mother has other priorities, however, and forces Olivia to attend a house party at the country estate of the unsocial Duke of Keswick.
Tristan Cameron, the Duke of Keswick, has no interest in associating with the members of the ton who ridicule him for his speech impediment. He’s equally determined never to marry so when his grandmother holds a house party at his estate, he makes himself scarce. When he runs into Lady Olivia in the stables he doesn’t correct her assumption that he is the head groom and winds up spending a morning escorting her for a ride. But when Olivia is accused of theft and Tristan is her only alibi, his true identity is revealed and Olivia’s relief is short-lived when she finds herself engaged to the surly duke. Believing himself ensnared by a conniving lady only after his title, Tristan is adamant on marriage in name only and intends to return to London, leaving Olivia behind in the country immediately after the wedding. However, Olivia is not content to remain in the country and away from her siblings so she takes herself off to London, much to the annoyance of her new husband. Tristan is appalled by his inability to completely ignore his wife. He’s vowed to never have children and risk passing on his stutter, but Olivia tempts him beyond his imagining and soon he may find she’s just the champion he’s always needed.
There were some issues with forms of address, a pet peeve of mine, but those should be caught and corrected in the final copy. Otherwise, I loved this story. I’m a sucker for the broody, damaged heroes with some sort of flaw, although I think Tristan got a bit ridiculous with his trust issues after awhile. He was so lovely and sweet when he finally opened his eyes to what Olivia was to him but it took so long to get him there and I would’ve liked more time with him and Olivia together as a couple. Overall though, I really enjoyed this one.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
You will totally love this amazing couple’s love story. Tristan is a Duke in the shadows because of a speech impediment. He doesn’t trust anyone except his grandmother because of the things that had happened in his past. He is pretending to be someone else when he meets Olivia. Olivia is independent and is not looking to marry unless she is in love. She meets Tristan and likes him on sight but doesn’t know he is the Duke. When they are forced into marriage by his grandmother things do not start off well.
This story reveals the depths you will go for the one you love. It also looks at accepting people despite their disabilities. Family loyalty is very important as a great support in all your troubles. There is intrigue and fun and witty conversations as Olivia fights for the life of love she wants with Tristan. This is a truly beautiful love story that will bring light and gladness to your heart.
When Lady Olivia is compromised, the Duke of Keswick is forced to marry her. Tristan is furious at what he sees as her deliberate manipulation of events and abandons her at his country seat as soon as the wedding is over. However Olivia has no intention of being separated from her friends and family in London and follows him there, insinuating herself into his life and gradually making herself indispensable to his happiness. Note, before they get their HEA there is the obligatory villain to be defeated.
Hopefully the typos in the uncorrected proof I read will have been addressed prior to publication.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Oh man I had forgotten how much I enjoy the Raven Club.. I had not rest the first book, which huh I still have to do even though I know the outcome..I started this series with the second book :How to Best a Marquess'” which featured Ellie and Hugh and I loved them, and since I had enjoyed that book so much I was excited to get Olivia;s. I am glad that I requested it, my only complaint that I had it in my to-be-read pile for about a month but that was my bad. So I implore you to start from the beginning so that you get a better feel for the characters, not that you will be lost because the author does a great job in explaining who was who but trust me you will enjoy it better. So we get reacquainted with Olivia and she is in a boring house party since her mother is trying to get Olivia a good match, however Olivia is not interested in just getting married she wants to find love like her sibling have done. She ends up meeting the elusive Duke’s groom when she goes to the stables to get away from the party. This groom is rude but also handsome, she ends up taking a ride and gives this groom a kiss because she wants to do something bold of her own free will instead of being told she had to do something. She gets accused of stealing by this horrid jealous girl there and to prove her innocence she has to admit she was unsupervised and out with this groom and when she mentions him and shows who it is turns out he lied, he was said Duke and because of that they were made to marry which pisses both of them all and then the real fun comes..Enjoy!
rcvd an ARc at no cost to author..(netgalley) Voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions
Lady Olivia, the youngest sister of the Earl of Castleton, has no patience for the boring gentlemen of aristocratic society. She longs for a more adventurous life, her plans are thwarted when her mother drags her to a country house party to meet suitable noblemen. Tristan Cameron, the Duke of Keswick, finds Olivia in his stables. She believes him to be the stable master, and he doesn’t dissuade her of the notion. Olivia is accused of stealing a necklace by a deceitful debutante but is relieved when the handsome stable master comes to her aid as her alibi, but that relief fades to anger when she suddenly finds herself betrothed to the harsh, foul-tempered duke.
Tristan believes he’s been trapped by a scheming, title-seeking lady. So plans to leave her at his principal country residence. He hadn’t banked on Olivia being so wilful & being aided & abetted by his Grandmother.
This is the third book about the Swift siblings & whilst it could be read on its own, reading the previous books will only add to its enjoyment. I adored Olivia & how she went out of her way to fight for Tristan even when he was trying to push her away. I loved Tristan & felt for all he had suffered but at times I really wanted to shake him. Their sparring was entertaining & their attraction apparent but Olivia faced an uphill struggle but she never gave up no matter how many times she was hurt. Luckily Tristan saw sense before it was too late. The pace was good & the characters had depth.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
How to Capture a Duke is the third book in Tina Gabrielle’s The Raven Club series. You don’t need to read the first two books to enjoy this one, because it totally stands alone. I do recommend doing so, though, because you will enjoy this one even more if you do. The heroine here is the sister of Ian in book one and Ellie in book two.
Lady Olivia is the youngest sister of the Earl of Castleton. Her mother drags her to a house party at the home of Tristan Cameron, the Duke of Keswick, so she can meet a lord and marry. Olivia isn’t the least bit interested; she doesn’t care about marrying any of the present gentlemen and would rather spend time with the horses. Visiting the stable, she meets a handsome man she believes to be the stable master. Asking him to accompany her on a ride, Olivia ends up kissing him. When a woman at the party accuses Olivia of stealing, Olivia insists that the stable master is her alibi. Except he’s not really a stable master…he is the Duke of Keswick, who was hiding from his guests in the stable! Since they had been alone, Tristan’s grandmother insists he marry Olivia. Tristan is convinced that Olivia connived to set this up. He plans on abandoning her in the country once they marry. It doesn’t quite work out that way!
I absolutely enjoyed this book and didn’t want to put it down. Tristan and Olivia were wonderful characters. Tristan was a different sort of romance hero – he stuttered. He held such a lofty title and had riches, but he kept to himself. Growing up with a mother who expected her son to be perfect, having tutors who tried to beat his problem out of him and dealing with classmates who constantly mocked him taught Tristan to be distrustful and withdrawn. He refused to be a father because he was afraid his child would suffer from the same affliction as he. Olivia, strong woman that she was, refused to be ignored and shuffled off to the country; she knew Tristan should not be hiding from life and could be helped. The chemistry between them was explosive, though Tristan tried to push her away. I enjoyed everything about this book!
Note: After the story, the author shared her own personal struggle with a speech impediment. No wonder she had such an understanding of Tristan’s issue and was able to get his struggle across. Thanks so much for sharing that with us, Ms. Gabrielle!
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
This story was a little bit sad but also very hopeful. Tristan has a problem and is embarrassed by it but I think his biggest problem is his distrust of everyone. I think if I was Olivia I might have just said goodbye and see you. She had the patience of a saint. I really liked her character. She was strong and patient and kind and just wonderful. Together they worked through their troubles and became stronger for them. The epilogue was amazing and beautiful!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
An excellent love story revolving around Tristan and Olivia. The story tells of how a marriage in name only turned into a wonderful love story. It also shows how a Duke learned to control his stuttering and to trust again. The characters are well written and entertaining. I would recommend this book as an excellent read.
Loved the cover.