An Amazon Best of the Month SelectionA Publishers Weekly Summer Reads 2020 Editors’ Pick “Smart and witty . . . the perfect historical read.” —Julia Quinn, #1 New York Times bestselling author“Vanessa Riley at her finest.” —Sarah MacLean, New York Times bestselling author“I was delighted. Readers on the lookout for Black or disabled characters in historical romance will not want to miss this.” —… the lookout for Black or disabled characters in historical romance will not want to miss this.”
—New York Times Book Review
A ground-breaking, empowering, and sexy story from acclaimed author Vanessa Riley that fans of Beverly Jenkins, Evie Dunmore, and Alyssa Cole won’t be able to put down. Join these Rogues & Remarkable Women as they fight for their status, their families…and true love.
When headstrong West Indian heiress Patience Jordan questioned her English husband’s mysterious suicide, she lost everything: her newborn son, Lionel, her fortune—and her freedom. Falsely imprisoned, she risks her life to be near her child—until The Widow’s Grace gets her hired as her own son’s nanny. But working for his unsuspecting new guardian, Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington, has perils of its own. Especially when Patience discovers his military strictness belies an ex-rake of unswerving honor—and unexpected passion . . .
A wounded military hero, Busick is determined to resolve his dead cousin’s dangerous financial dealings for Lionel’s sake. But his investigation is a minor skirmish compared to dealing with the forthright, courageous, and alluring Patience. Somehow, she’s breaking his rules, and sweeping past his defenses. Soon, between formidable enemies and obstacles, they form a fragile trust—but will it be enough to save the future they long to dare together?
“One of the best historicals I’ve read in years.”
—Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author
“Expertly crafted romance.”
—Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
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I don’t typically read Historical Fiction, but decided to give this one a try. I loved it! I wasn’t used to some of the terms the author used, but they grew on me as I read the book. I fell in love with the Duke and Patience and want to read more about them. Great job, Vanessa! I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Defrauded of her inheritance, her home, and her child, after the death of her husband. His corrupt uncle and his machinations left her destitute and in an asylum but determined to get back all that was hers by rights. Thanks to the auspices of an organization called Widow’s Grace, she has help in her pursuit; but will she have patience to wait it out?
And then, a chance meeting with the Duke who – unbeknownst to her – intends to depose the corrupt uncle, has her hoping that perhaps finally, there will be someone fighting in her corner.
Though not my usual genre, this was an extremely good story. A romance, of course, but with a good dollop of intrigue to hold your interest easily. Lady Patience Jordan has ingenuity and determination; both of which will stand her in good stead as she works toward getting back to her infant son and foiling the trickery of the would-be Duke.
Riley has crafted her story well. Introducing twists and turns – and misunderstandings – neatly into the plot line. It certainly piques the reader’s interest to watch how relationships blend and develop over time. As things become clearer, light is shed on past events that may not have been what they seemed.
A charming cast of characters, the deep friendship that develops between Patience and Jemima, the invaluable support of Lady Shrewsbury and the Widow’s Grace; all combine to make this a truly enjoyable read that I highly recommend.
[Many thanks to the author for an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. I was not required to write a review, however. The opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.]
Patience Jordan was from Demerara. and fell in love with Colin Jordan. He had visited the area of Guyana, met Patience, married her, and bought her to England. They were married about four years and he either committed suicide or was murdered. Over the four years, she had a son, Lionel. A sweet baby, she adored him. When her husband died, his uncle, Markham moved in, told anyone who asked that he was lionel’s guardian. He had Patience committed to Bedlam and he continued doing as he wished.
Busick Strathmore, Duke of Ripington, had been looking for his ward for six weeks. When he came to Hamlin Hall, he came with a bunch of soldiers and surrounded the house. He had also been a strategist with Wellington till he was injured. He did everything by a timetable. I believe he was hoping to go back to war. But now he had an infant to raise and he seemed happy with Lionel. It had been two years since he was wounded, I don’t believe he will ever be called back, his injuries were that bad.
This was a very complicated story. I have no idea how the author kept up with it. But she did. It became an engrossing and intriguing tale. The characters were very well written and could even be realistic. The description of the background was excellent. She seemed to always have you guessing about what was going to happen. I loved this book, I could just see, in my mind, this squad of military men with their guns out and surrounding the house. taking control. I laugh, cried, and was sad when reading this.
I received this novel from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it and enjoyed it.
This is another new-to-me author, and while enjoyed the story so much, the POV tense changes were a bit jarring for me.
Patience Jordan is having a rough few months. She had her first baby, a boy, Lionel. Her husband, Colin, killed himself. Colin’s dastardly uncle, Markham, has inserted himself at her home, then had her committed to Bedlam for being a danger to her son. She was released by a kindly solicitor, who is the nephew of a local widow, Lady Shrewsbury. The Lady runs a secret organization called The Widow’s Grace to help widows in need to regain their freedoms, and custody of their children. But, the Lady’s plan is taking too long, and Patience, who is not known for the virtue of her name, has to act before she fears her baby will starve. So, she’s been dressing as a man, and sneaking into the estate at night, through the catacombs, to feed Lionel, and see that he’s as cared for as he can be. But, when an armed battalion shows up one night, led by Colin’s cousin, the Duke of Repington, Lionel’s actual guardian, she’s both relieved, and scared for different reasons.
Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington, has a new ward to take care of, and his own health and vitality to restore, after his grave war injuries. When he arrives and kicks Markham out of the estate, things are off to a good start. But, they can’t locate the boy’s mother, and Markham has been known to drug/dispose of people as it suits him, so she could be gone for good. The Duke needs to find a new wet nurse/nanny for the baby immediately. The next morning, when his friend Lady Shrewsbury shows up, with 2 new maids to hire in tow, he gives in semi-gracefully and hires them. Especially once he learns the one is a wet nurse for the boy. But he fights a strong attraction to her, as he knows that no good man dallies with servants under his command.
Busick and Patience have verbal wars constantly, and he likes that she actually speaks her mind and argues with him, most of the time. But, she doesn’t feel she can trust anyone, including him, and so she keeps up her ruse as the nanny. Their chemistry is strong, though both are fighting it hard, each for their own reasons. Meanwhile, there’s a mystery afoot, involving Patience’s dead husband and his uncle, and figuring it out and stopping Markham is the only way to truly insure Lionel’s safety. She will do anything to protect her baby, including continuing to lie to the man she may be falling for, with every caring thing he does for her son. I liked watching them dance around each other, and their falling together was slow and steady, and wonderful.
The side characters here were delightful too, especially Lady Shrewbury’s nephew, Mr. Thackery, and Jemina St. Maur, Patience’s friend and ally who has amnesia, but has committed herself to helping Patience right the wrongs done to her and her baby. Mr. Thackery and Jemina appear to be headed for the next book together, and I’m definitely interested in reading that story!
Honestly my only real issue here at all was with the changing tenses. The author uses 1st person POV when in Patience’s head. But when she switches to Busick’s POV, the tense changes with it, to 3rd person. Normally, I’m not someone bothered by tense choice AT ALL. I’ve read and loved plenty of stories in both 1st and 3rd, and even a couple in 2nd, and normally I don’t even notice it, or care either way. But, the changing tenses threw me off so much. At first, I wasn’t even sure what was bothering me while reading, but SOMETHING was. And even when I finally realized, I just kept struggling with it throughout the story. I’m positive that the author did this with a purpose, though I don’t know what it was. Sadly, it mostly just distracted me from the story every time it happened. This was still a 4 Star book for me though, as I adored the characters, and their journey, and how the story ultimately played out.
This was a very intriguing look into this world the author has created, and I am curious to read more. Hopefully if the tense switching continues I’ll at least be prepared for it next time, and it won’t hinder me as much. Please, try this one for yourself, as I do recommend it highly!
A Duke, the Lady and a Baby was a sweet and easy read. It has a bit of a mystery that I figured out pretty early on and highlights the ways in which women don’t have authority over themselves or their offspring among other things. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Copy provided by publisher through Net Galley
3.5 Stars
Created by a shrewd countess, The Widow’s Grace is a secret society with a mission: to help ill-treated widows regain their status, their families, and even find true love again—or perhaps for the very first time..
When headstrong West Indian heiress Patience Jordan questioned her English husband’s mysterious suicide, she lost everything: her newborn son, Lionel, her fortune—and her freedom. Falsely imprisoned, she risks her life to be near her child—until The Widow’s Grace gets her hired as her own son’s nanny. But working for his unsuspecting new guardian, Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington, has perils of its own. A wounded military hero, Busick is determined to resolve his dead cousin’s dangerous financial dealings for Lionel’s sake. But his investigation is a minor skirmish compared to dealing with the forthright, courageous, and alluring Patience.
This is the first in a new series & I found it to be a well written book that flowed well. I do enjoy the author’s books & they are a different slant on life in the Regency era. I liked Patience & Busick but I didn’t love them & felt there was a lack of chemistry. The change from first person to third person narrative was also a little annoying. I look forward to the rest of the series even though I wasn’t blown away by this book I was sufficiently intrigued to want to read more
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
I requested an ARC of this book, and all opinions are mine.
This is a new to me author, so I did not know what to expect from this book. It started off a bit clunky – the chapters alternate between first person & third person – but it quickly found it’s groove and became very enjoyable.
The plot was both familiar – widow is forced to disguise herself as the nanny in order to be close to her infant son – and unique – said widow is from the West Indies, and is fully portrayed as a person of color. I love that this story took on the prejudices faced by Patience LaCroy Jordan. It was a fresh point of view, and one that I’d like to see more of in the future.
This is the first in a new series, and I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
A Duke, the Lady and A Baby by Vanessa Riley is a historical romance with richly detailed descriptions of the scenes and the characters and a mystery regarding the widow’s husband and her past since her husband died.
I did struggle with reading this book as it was written in both first person and third person throughout the book which did throw off the flow of the story. I was also disappointed that I never felt any chemistry between Patience and Busick. Their relationship seemed to grow organically as employer/employee and then into friendship (with reservations on his part) when Patience confessed that she was Lionel’s mother which made sense. I did enjoy the mystery portion of the story as Busick and Patience finally revealed the evil truth behind the death of Patience’s husband. Sad that the mystery was the best part of a romance story so I rate it 3.5 stars.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book that I won from Kensington Publishing in a Goodreads contest. All of the above opinions are my own.
“A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby” by Vanessa Riley’
Yes, it took me a few chapters to get well and truly hooked on this story. But then I got caught up in the inter-play between Patience and Busick and the suspense surrounding the death of Colin, her husband, his cousin. And as they say, the rest is history. The big questions. Will Patience and Busick learn to trust each other and become a team? Will they resolve the questions surrounding Colin’s death?
So, in my opinion this is a good Regency Suspense story with a side of romance. Happy Reading ! !
note: I received an ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
I won an advanced copy of this novel, and I was really pleased! I love British Regency fiction, but most of what I’ve read is from the perspective of white aristocrats. And I think the POV of a interracial widow was the most fascinating part of the book for me. As a history buff it annoys me how few women even left us readable records of their lives. The less privileged a woman was drastically decreases our chances of hearing about her life in her own words. Fiction gives us a chance to imagine what other people’s lives were like, and Patience Jordan Strathmore is a very cool lady to hang out with. The world is overdue for change. I’m praying that people like me who enjoy a privileged life have the courage to start looking through other people’s eyes. The racism Patience faced is still rearing its head in 2020. I’m praying we all find some of her courage! Happy Reading!
Touching story about two hurting people coming together to make a family. Full of rich historical details, believable characters with struggles and growth, and a satisfying romance. I was a little thrown by the alternative 1st and 3rd person narratives, but not so much that it harmed the story. I’m hoping we will get to see side characters Jemina, Thackery, and Gantry in future books.
A Duke, The Lady, and A Baby by Vanessa Riley is the book in the Rogues and Remarkable Women series. It is well written and the plot is witty and interesting. Without writing a synopsis and giving away any spoilers, the author did a great job in creating and developing the characters who were perfect for the storyline. It brings out issues such as trauma, diversity and a mother’s inner strength and determination to get her child back. I enjoyed reading it and rated it a four.
Fabulous story, wonderful characters! I can’t wait to read the rest of this series. Flawed but strong characters, this story made me laugh, cry and hold my breath. If you love historical romance, you will adore this book!
What an enjoyable read! I loved how this particular romance had just the right dash of mystery to keep the story moving forward. The characters were so loveable, in particular Patience, Jemina, Busick and, of course, Lionel. Patience and Busick were opposites in so much of their personalities, but it was fun to see them come together and watch their romance develop. I also loved the details Vanessa Riley added to the various settings through each of the characters; it really added a nice depth to the story for me. Definitely a good read for Regency/Historical romance lovers!
I really enjoyed the character and plot development. Even though it was somewhat predictable, there were some surprises along the way! A fun, romantic read.
Best I’m read this month!
Enjoyable and certainly both relevant and timely, highlighting a good romance and issues today with racism. Well worth the read!
great author. I’ve read 2 – can’t wait for more!!!
If you watched the TV adaptation of Bridgerton but you’d prefer your romance more realistic and less explicit, this one will be perfect for you! A determined heroine from Demerara fights back against all odds to reclaim her son — and fights her growing attraction to the baby’s ward, who has battles of his own to fight. Neither sunny nor sweet, but delivers a hard-won HEA.
This book truly got me through some of the worst days of December!
While I don’t usually reach for closed-door romances, this novel had such great reviews that I just had to give it a try. I’m so glad I did – it never felt underdeveloped to me, and had such a good balance of tension-building that I never felt like I was missing out.
It was a wonderfully original page-turner from start to finish, with a plot that kept me glued to the page and terrific characters with substance and depth. I adored seeing a character of color play a starring role, something I don’t get enough of in historical romance. I also loved the sensitive way Ms. Riley wove in the hero’s war injuries.
I highly recommend this lovely book (especially for all you new Bridgerton fans), and will be eagerly awaiting the second title in the series.