From the New York Times bestselling author of the Maiden Lane series comes the first book in a new series that “marries her irresistibly witty writing style with an intrigue-steeped plot,” (Booklist) perfect for fans of Tessa Dare and Eloisa James. 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 … 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 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.
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 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.
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3.5 stars rounded up.
Lady Freya Stewart de Moray’s life changed dramatically 15 years ago after what came to be known as the “Greycourt Tragedy”, when her brother Randolph “Ran” almost died and her family was torn apart. Now 27, Freya has joined the secret society of Wise Women and has taken work as a companion/chaperone to Lady Holland and her daughters, using the assumed name of Miss. Stewart. Her life is nothing like she thought it would be, but she is content. While helping reunite a woman with her child, she is chased by some men and jumps into a carriage. That carriage is occupied by the one man Freya hoped to never see again – Christopher Renshaw, the Duke of Harlowe, the man her 12 year old self vowed to marry and the man she holds responsible for destroying her family. She looks up and sees he is wearing Ran’s signet ring, hate for him almost overwhelms her, but he doesn’t recognize her, which makes her hate him all the more. She is rude to him, but he protects her when the men chasing her approach the coach. She leaves his coach with a parting shot at him and continues on with her mission.
Christopher is a widower, he was married and sent to India shortly after the “tragedy” and only returned to England two years ago when he unexpectedly inherited the dukedom from a distance cousin. He keeps to himself and has spent the last two years restoring the duchy. He didn’t recognize Freya, but he was intrigued by her, she made him feel alive for the first time in years. He tries to put her out of his mind, sure he will never see her again. He goes to his club and is confronted by a man he knew in India – a man who seduced his late wife – Mr. Plimpton. Plimpton has letters from his wife Sophy, which he threatens to make public if Harlowe doesn’t pay him off. He says he will exchange the letters for the money at a house party being held by Harlowe’s former brother in law, Baron Lovejoy. Christopher wants nothing more than to thrash Plimpton, but he failed Sophy in so many ways, that he can’t let her memory be tarnished by the letters. He will go to the house party, pay off Plimpton and return to his solitary life.
Freya goes to the house party with her employer, hoping to get information on Lord Randolph, the neighbor of the Lovejoy’s, a man who is actively trying to pass a bill in Parliament to revive witch hunting – the Wise Women have long been targeted by witch hunters and this bill will threaten their already dimished numbers. She arrives at the party and is shocked to see not only the duke, but her former best friend Messalina Greycourt as well. Christopher immediately recognizes Freya from the coach incident, but doesn’t reveal her. He also recognizes Messalina. Messalina knows exactly who Freya is, but for some reason has kept the knowledge to herself. Her family is at the center of the “tragedy” and Freya is sure that Messalina must hate her – her brother Ran was accused of trying to elope with and then murdering Messalina sister Aurelia. Messalina is surprised to see Christopher talking to Freya, but quickly realizes that he doesn’t know who she is. She approaches them and is hurt when Freya slips away, why would Freya forgive Christopher, but snub Messalina? Freya has ignored her since they saw each other again for the first time in years when Freya came to London. Messalina has kept her distance, but longs for her friend. Messalina has her own reasons for attending the party, her dear friend Eleanor, Lady Randolph died last year and Messalina is sure her husband is responsible, so she wants to investigate and bring him to justice.
Later Freya sneaks in Christopher’s room, hoping to retrieve her brother’s ring. She enters and realizes immediately that she made a mistake, she forgot about his dog, Tess. But before she can leave, Christopher grabs her. She kisses him and when he returns the kiss, she bites him and slips away – with the ring. He is shocked and intrigued. He confronts her later and demands the return of the ring. The ring is a reminder to him of his failures and his determination to be a better man. She of course refuses. Later he demands it again, this time she challenges him to a duel – winner gets the ring. She beats him, but he finally recognizes her! She tells him what happened to her family after that awful night, but she doesn’t really know what caused the tragedy. Christopher tells her what he witnessed and begs her forgiveness for not saving Ran – he never believed Ran killed Aurelia. He tells her that he was married off and exiled to India shortly after the incident and only returned when he inherited. He hasn’t seen Julian Greycourt or Ran since that night. She begins to realize that Christopher is not the man she thought he was, she still can’t forgive him, but no longer hates him.
When Freya overhears two different conversations, she will find herself in more trouble than she could ever imagine. She finally talks to Messalina and agrees to meet with her later. But when she follows Christopher, they end up being locked in a well house for the night. She and Christopher talk and he tells her of his time in India and the horrific events that lead to the death of his wife. She calms him and tells him of her family. They are rescued the next day by Messalina, who was hurt that Freya stood her up, but soon realized that she was actually missing – along with Christopher.
To save Freya’s reputation, Christopher proposes, but Freya refuses to marry him. She cites the many reasons that they could never be together – he refuses to accept them. He will win her! But theirs will not be a smooth journey to HEA.
The story was good, but honestly, there is so much going on and so many pertinent secondary characters, that it gets a little hard to keep track of the “romance”. The book is well written, interesting, entertaining, steamy and definitely a page turner, but I finished it feeling a little unsatisfied. There were a lot of unanswered questions, some will probably be addressed in the future installments, but some were specifically relevant to this story and I can’t see how they will be incorporated in to the future books. Overall, it was a good read and I would be happy to recommend this book and am looking forward to the next one!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me.*
A wonderful story with lovable characters and a bit of intriguing sleuthing. There’s blackmailing, witch hunters and attempted murder. Elizabeth Hoyt is fabulous at crafting complex characters and plots. Thoroughly enjoyed this novel!
I absolutely love Elizabeth Hoyt’s writing, the proof being that I really don’t care for historical romances, and yet I have devoured every single one of hers, going so far as to chase down out of print copies online, but this latest book, the beginning of a new series, is absolutely fantastic. I think what draws me to her stories is that Ms. Hoyt writes strong, self-assured women in an era where women had very little autonomy over their lives. She writes them beautifully and makes it work.
Freya de Moray is a Wise Woman, a title that puts her in danger should it be known due to fears that Wise Women consort with the devil and are therefore witches—and there are still those among the English who believe they should be burned at the stake. But Freya’s identity is not the thrust of this story though it plays heavily in the plot. Instead, it’s her hope to exact revenge upon a duke who, as a young man, was her brother’s close friend. Freya blames him for the beating that left her brother a broken man, maimed for life.
But Christopher Renshaw, the Duke of Harlowe, is not exactly the way Freya remembers him, and when the two of them end up at a house party, things do not turn out exactly as Freya had planned. At first, Christopher doesn’t recognize her as the quiet lady’s companion, and Freya has a hard time reconciling the thoughtful duke with the horrible person she wants to remember. When he realizes that someone is stalking Freya, the duke vows to protect her—something he was not able to do for her brother.
This book has so many wonderful twists and turns, beautifully developed secondary characters, and a thrilling plot that leads to an absolutely perfect ending. I already know I’m going to enjoy this series—a lot. And the teaser at the end of the book has me waiting impatiently for Messalina’s story.
The paperback comes with a bonus book by Grace Burrowes: Patience for Christmas. Again, I’m not usually a fan of historical romance, but this one was just flat out fun, a sexy-sweet romantic tale with really well-developed characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and include it in my five star rating for Elizabeth Hoyt’s Not the Duke’s Darling.
I definitely recommend both stories for an entertaining, pleasurable read.
I loved this book!!
3.75 stars–NOT THE DUKE’S DARLING is the first instalment in Elizabeth Hoyt’s adult THE GREYCOURT historical, romance series. This is Freya de Moray, and Christopher Renshaw, the Duke of Harlowe’s story line.
Told from several third person perspectives including Freya and Christopher NOT THE DUKE’S DARLING follows the childhood friends /enemies to lovers/ brother’s best friend relationship between Freya de Moray, and Christopher Renshaw. Years earlier Freya’s brother was accused of a heinous crime, and in the ensuing melee was beaten and maimed without benefit of proof. Fast forward to present day wherein Freya will come face to face with her past,a man who stood by and watched as her brother nearly lost his life. Enter Christopher Renshaw, the Duke of Harlowe, and the man with whom Freya will fall in love. What ensues is the rebuilding relationship between Freya and Christopher, and the potential fall-out as Freya is targeted for her connection to a group known as the Wise Women.
Freya de Moray is a titled lady but our heroine prefers to remain in the background as she endeavors to help those who are unable to help themselves. A feminist before her time, Freya’s actions make her a target by the men who hope to destroy anyone who goes against the norm, or in Freya’s case, a strong-willed, stubborn woman who is willing to risk her life to save the life of someone else. Christopher Renshaw returned from exile the Duke of Harlowe but his inability to let go of the past found our hero struggling to make sense of mysterious stranger who despised his presence from the first time they met. Having no recollection of what he had done Christopher would soon come to realize that the woman with murder in her eyes, is someone from his past. Estranged from family and friends, Christopher is desperate to uncover the truth behind Freya’s appearance.
The relationship between Freya and Christopher is an enemies to lovers/ best friend’s little sister trope that finds our couple at odds over their future together. Christopher is hoping for his happily ever after but Freya refuses to be bound to any man as a servant or bed mate. Marriage is not out of the question but our heroine prefers her independence over servitude, an independence and strong-will that has placed a target on her back. Christopher considers Freya his equal, and in this, he too, is ahead of the times. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters as Elisabeth Hoyt introduces the players and key figures in her Greycourt series. We are introduced to Freya’s former best friend Messalina Greycourt, and her sister Lucretia. Many of the characters have several names, nicknames and titles, as well as the mention of innumerable others, such that there is much confusion throughout the story.
NOT THE DUKE’S DARLING is a story of family and betrayal; friendship and loss; second chances and love. The premise is entertaining; the romance is seductive; the characters are strong and sassy. There are a number of sub-plots including secret societies and witch hunting, murder and confinement, blackmail and estrangement, all wrapped up in an historical romance love story
Freya, the daughter of disgraced nobility, lives under an assumed name as a Wise Woman, a member of a secret sect of helpers and healers. When a member of the House of Lords plans to introduce legislation to allow the persecution of witches, she seeks to stop him by discovering evidence against him in the death of his wife. At a house party near the man’s estate, she runs into a childhood friend, the Duke of Harlowe. Their families are now estranged, and she blames him for the tragedy that turned her brother into a recluse.
Yet neither Freya nor Harlowe can deny the attraction between them. When she learns that he has secrets, too, she becomes involved in his schemes. Can they escape the threats hanging over them? And can she find the courage to give him her heart?
Elizabeth Hoyt is among the best of the best. This book is full of intrigue, but it doesn’t overpower the romance. It’s steamy and emotional and smart. I loved how Freya exerted her independence, and Harlowe gave her the space she needed. I highly recommend this book.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received.
Friends to enemies to lovers, is how this first book in this series begins. Interesting characters and a bit of intrigue, but also an old mystery that none of the characters seem interesting in solving.
At twelve years old, Freya de Moray, daughter of a duke had a crush on her older brother’s friend Christopher Renshaw. But one night, everything fell apart, Freya’s family was destroyed and Christopher was exiled to India. Freya and her sisters were rescued by their mother’s sister, and taken to Scotland where they were initiated into the Wise Women. Years later, Freya is a spy for the
Wise Woman, working as a companion for Lady Holland and a chaperone for her two daughters, when she comes across Christopher, now the wealthy Duke of Harlowe. She hates him and blames him for the misfortune of her family, and plots revenge, until she realizes that he is fighting his own demons. Once he realizes who she is, he only wants to protect her, but she doesn’t trust anyone but herself. While it is a well written story that kept my interest, I am tired of historical authors inserting anachronistic modern feminism into their books.
This book sucked me in from the moment I started reading with a chase scene through London until the happy ending it finally gave me after depriving me of much sleep until I saw it through. So many themes throughout though dominant we see women’s independence and strength, forgiveness, and appearances can be deceiving. I thought the romance between the couple was steamy and sweet, as well as truly meant to be. I hope for happy weddings for a few other characters as well! #NotTheDukesDarling #Netgalley
Great start to a new series!
Freya and Christopher knew each other as children but haven’t seen each other in fifteen years. Because of the events that unfolded so long ago, Freya struggles to see Christopher as anything but the enemy. Christopher regrets the horrific night at Greycourt and lives his life trying to atone for his mistakes. When he reconnects with Freya, he becomes enamored with her fiery spirit. Can they let go of the wounds from their past and give in to their feelings for each other?
I love the characters in this story, especially Freya and Christopher, the two main characters! Freya is a fantastic protagonist with a strong will and fierce determination to help women. I love her gumption and her rejection of the social expectations of the time. She is a woman ahead of her time, and she is not afraid to use her skills to help others. She is also difficult to know, as she is evasive and unassuming. She doesn’t open up to others, though she is generous of spirit. Freya does not need a man and does quite well without one. However, she slowly comes to realize that need and want are two entirely different things.
Christopher is positively swoon-worthy! He admires Freya and likes her strength and intellect. Christopher loves that Freya challenges him and doesn’t hold back. He is an honorable man who has suffered greatly throughout his life, and his past still haunts him. Christopher is the consummate tortured hero who is saved by the fierce woman that he loves.
Speaking of love, the chemistry between Christopher and Freya is fantastic. Freya had a childhood crush on Christopher, and it is clear that some feelings remain. Freya hides her feelings under a mask of indifference and disdain, but Christopher isn’t daunted by the walls Freya puts up. I think her passivity and disregard intrigues Christopher even more. He likes Freya for who she really is, not who she pretends to be.
The intrigue is as compelling as the characters. Freya tries to end a new law that will make persecuting women easier. While serving as a chaperone for two young women, Freya also determines to find out what happened to a woman that mysteriously died. Christopher is involved in a blackmail plot, which threatens his dead wife’s reputation. There are also mysteries surrounding the past, which connects to several other characters in the story. I enjoyed the well-layered plot and the suspenseful nature of the novel.
Not the Duke’s Darling has a complex plot with a secret society, political threats, matchmaking, arranged marriages, long-lost friendships, murder plots, PTSD, the persecution of “witches,” a love story, and more. I do wish the author went into a bit more detail about the Wise Women, the secret society for which Freya works. I also wanted to know more about the Greycourt incident, which irrevocably changed the lives of Freya, Christopher, and their families forever. However, I have a feeling these things will be explored in future books in the series. Thanks so much to Netgalley, Forever, and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
I loved this complex romantic suspense story!
This story hits the ground running with Freya demonstrating that she’s not just the heroine of her story, but an actual risk-her-life-for-others hero who needs her own cape. I fell hard for her in the very first chapter, and I adored her spunky, independent spirit throughout the entire book.
Christopher took a little while to show his worth. At first he comes across as a bit arrogant yet easily manipulated, but soon his inner strength starts to show through. He’s fascinated by Freya (aren’t we all?) and finds in her a reason to address his own issues and get his life back on track.
This story has a lot of twists and turns, and while the romance has a very satisfying HEA, there’s a storyline that we’re only given part of the explanation for. It’s apparent that this thread will be woven throughout the books in this series. Even so, there’s plenty of action, suspense, swoony romance, and triumphant conclusions that kept me glued to the book from beginning to end.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Not the Duke’s Darling by Elizabeth Hoyt is the first book in the series: A Greycourt Novel. It is a great historical fiction romance set in mid 1700s England.
Freya de Moray is an excellent female protagonist. She is feisty, fiery, and has been wronged. She is bent on retaliation and to set right the wrongs which have been placed upon her family.
Christopher Renshaw, Duke of Harlowe is unjustly targeted. Is he perfect? Nope, but some things are misunderstood and out of his control. These two characters are thrown together in the classic enemies to friends to lovers concept that always seems to intrigue me no matter how many times I partake.
I liked both main characters. They had great chemistry, interactions, and dialogue. The are flawed and like able. I enjoyed the plot, the fantasy/fairy tale aspects woven within, and I enjoyed the ending. There are several secondary characters presented that will make great focal characters in future books (I’m talking about you Messalina Greycourt).
It is a great start to what is sure to be a great new series by Ms. Hoyt. I am looking forward to seeing how this series grows and develops.
4/5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR, Instagram, Bookbub, Amazon, and B&N accounts accounts immediately.
My all-time favourite historical romance series is Maiden Lane and of course, I had to read this book as well.
I loved the characters with all their flaws and strength, with all their insecurities and love for each other and their families and friends. The banter, the chemistry and strong opinions were all I was looking for and expected from this story and I got a plenty amount of each with every chapter and a new page turned.
I’m so looking forward to the next one in the series.
Christopher Renshaw, the Duke of Harlowe, is a bit damaged by his past and wants a quiet life with his dog Tess but he is being blackmailed by someone from his past and is required to attend a house party. Freya de Moray aka Miss Stuart is a member of the secret order of Wise Women, duty bound to protect other women who need her help. Freya is on a mission for the Wis Women and is at the same house party as the Duke of Harlow. He is a huge part of her past and at the end not a good part and their passions are up when they argue and soon leads to other kinds of passions.
There is something about Ms Hoyt’s books that grab a hold of me and wont let go. I rarely ever reread a book once I am done with it but her book are just the right amount of exciting and fun that I want to go back again and again. All the characters are interesting and have their own personalities, even the supporting characters, that come out in all of her books.
Ashford McNab Does such a great job narrating Ms Holts books that I am not sure I will ever again read another one myself. She brings the characters to life in such a way that she complements Ms Hoyts books so that they come alive for me.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants a little excitement with their historical romance.
The one terrible thing about this book is it is a new series and now I will have to wait forever for every other book in this series to be released!
It is a great series
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this first installment in Elizabeth Hoyt’s new series, Greycourt. The hero and heroine have a very contentious history and have been separated for quite a few years. Freya is a Wise Woman, part of a sect that support and assist women in many ways. She is the Macha, a spy. She attends a house party with the mission of stopping a neighbor from proposing legislation against witches (many think the Wise Women are witches). There she encounters the Duke of Harlowe and the two must deal with some difficult past events.
There was some intrigue and adventure plus some lovely romance. I got tears at the end. It was a hard journey for both Freya and the duke, but their relationship was extremely satisfying. We were also introduced to other members of the Greycourt family and I look forward to their stories. A very good book.
I usually love Ms. Hoyt’s book, but this one has left me with mixed feelings. The beginning starts out with a bang with Freya de Moray, a Wise Woman, helps a young woman and her infant son escape a ruthless brother-in-law. During the escape, they jump into a ducal carriage. The owner turns out to be none other than a childhood friend, Christopher Renshaw, the Duke of Harlowe. We learn that Freya detests Harlowe for a scandal that happened when Chris and Freya’s brother Ran were 18 years old. Now 15 years later, Freya still harbors an intense hatred for him.
The premise for the book held such great promise, but it took most of the book to learn Freya’s role with the Wise Women and what the scandal was about. There’s still an underlying mystery to the scandal that was never solved so I suspect it will be the underlying theme in the series. Harlowe’s PTSD with small spaces add more mystery and we don’t learn why until 3/4 of the way in the book. I’m glad I kept reading until the end, but even then, I was disappointed that there was so little explanation for some of the overarching plot points.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review and was not obligated to leave a review.
New series for Elizabeth Hoyt. If this is any indication of the books to come, we’re in for a treat. I can only imagine the stories which will high light the characters she kept bringing in to this story. What an emotional and tangled this book was with strong characters who were involved in the plot which was expertly woven.
Not The Duke’s Darling, by Elizabeth Hoyt, was published in December 2018. The first book in a new series, Greycourt. Three friends, one horrible incident, actions have consequences. I’m on the fence about this book. It’s deffinately Ms Hoyt’s work, she deals with action plots very well but somehow this story fell short. I suppose the secret Wise Women society plot was a little too far fetched. It would have been nice if such a group existed but sadly not. Freya de Moray is a likeable character until she’s not. Back and forth with her. She’s strong, capable, intelligent, should be a perfect alpha female character. Her blind anger and lust for vengence is sharp and deep. It’s long lasting but quick to go away.
Christopher Renshaw is one of those characters that unexpectedly came into a title, Duke of Harlow, and has to struggle to keep up. He has employees to help but he’s thrown in the deep end & survives. He’s a nice man but geeze, he’s beating himself up through the entire book. His enlightenment comes too quick & completely for me to find it believable. I’m torn about him too.
I do love Ms Hoyt’s work and hope the next book has characters I can become invested in and root for. I received an Arc of this book from the author. Happy reading.
#NotTheDuke’sDarling #GreycourtSeries #ElizabethHoyt #historicalromance
I read in it one day and looked for the next in the series to discover it hasn’t yet been published. Can’t wait to read more about Messalina’s story.