A NYT bestselling author kicks off a new Regency series of “irresistible romance and a family of delightful scoundrels” as a woman looking to recover a stolen painting accidentally kidnaps a duke instead. (Eloisa James) Chloe Wynchester is completely forgettable — a curse that gives her the ability to blend into any crowd. When the only father she’s ever known makes a dying wish for his adopted … known makes a dying wish for his adopted family of orphans to recover a missing painting, she’s the first one her siblings turn to for stealing it back. No one expects that in doing so, she’ll also abduct a handsome duke.
Lawrence Gosling, the Duke of Faircliffe, is tortured by his father’s mistakes. To repair his estate’s ruined reputation, he must wed a highborn heiress. Yet when he finds himself in a carriage being driven hell-for-leather down the cobblestone streets of London by a beautiful woman who refuses to heed his commands, he fears his heart is hers. But how can he sacrifice his family’s legacy to follow true love?
“Erica Ridley is a delight!” –Julia Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton series
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Humorous, passionate, and fabulously entertaining!
The Duke Heist is a heartwarming, playful romp that sweeps you away to London during 1817 and into the life of Chloe Wynchester, a clever pickpocket who is determined to reclaim a family painting stolen by the late Duke of Faircliffe at any cost, even if it means befriending the handsome, newly appointed Duke of Faircliffe, Lawrence Gosling who is in the process of securing a wealthy bride to save his inherited dukedom from financial ruin.
The prose is amusing and light. The characters are unique, intelligent, and a wee bit zany. And the plot is a delightfully enchanting tale full of family, friendship, societal expectations, scheming behaviour, tricky situations, desire, and steamy romance.
Overall, The Duke Heist isx1b an enticing, swoon-worthy, outrageously funny read by Ridley that hands down has some of the best characters I’ve ever read about in a historical romance novel. They’re a talented, eccentric, compassionate group of misfits you can’t help but root for, and I am super excited to read about all the hijinks this family of scoundrels gets up to next.
Really enjoyed the story. Love all of the Wynchesters! I received an ARC of this book.
This book was such a fun experience. It was frustrating sometimes to watch the characters interact and you want to shake them but that’s the way the things work. The family of orphans is fascinating, I love the different talents they have developed and how they work together so well as a family. Their antics are amusing and I particularly knew I’d love the book when I saw the part about the “homing kitten”. Hilarious. #thedukeheist #netgalley
I absolutely LOVE this book. The story is really sweet and romantic. Super enjoyable.
Chloe Wynchester has the ability to blend into any crowd. When the only father she’s ever known died, his adopted family of orphans decide to recover a painting that the previous Duke of Faircliffe stole from him. So Chloe is the first one her siblings turn to for stealing it back. No one expects that in doing so, she’ll also abduct a handsome duke.
Lawrence Gosling, the Duke of Faircliffe, is tortured by his father’s mistakes. To repair his estate’s ruined reputation, he must wed a highborn heiress. Yet when he finds himself in a carriage being driven hell-for-leather down the cobblestone streets of London by a beautiful woman who refuses to heed his commands, he fears his heart is hers. But how can he sacrifice his family’s legacy to follow true love?
This book spoke to me. It was beautiful and emotional. It´s funny, sweet, romantic, passionate. Chloe and Lawrence have great chemistry. The dialogs between them are smart and witty. There are few but really good steamy moments.
I adore that he SEES her. And when the time comes, he stood by her making sure anyone else sees her too.
I highly recommend this story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Love this new series about a Baron Vanderbean, very rich man adopted six orphans. They became known as the Wynchester orphans and he left them his home and fortune. Chloe Wynchester and her siblings each has a special talent and they put them to use finding things. As his dying wish he wanted them to retrieve Puck or Robin Goodfellow the painting from the Duke of Faircliffe and bring it home. Lawrence Gosling, the Duke of Faircliffe, is tortured by his father’s mistakes, but first order of things is he must marry an heiress. Lawrence is trying to show society that he’s not the man his father was. Chloe is a wallflower, chameleon she blends in where ever she is. The first time Lawrence sees her driving his carriage he knows he’s meet his match, but he needs an heiress to wed not this strikingly attractive woman who sets heart on fire. A captivating story of how these orphans are doing good works right under other people’s nose to right the wrongs. I have voluntarily read and reviewed the excellent book.
I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance reader copy (ARC) of this story.
The Duke Heist, by Erica Ridley, is available at booksellers on 2-9-2021. Heist is book one in a new series, The Wild Wynchesters. There is a prequel to the series called The Governess Gambit if you’d like to start there. The Wynchesters are a culled together family. Orphans taken in by a loving, childless Baron. This gives us many characters stories to look forward to in the future.
I love that the Wynchesters had an unconventional upbringing. The characters have way more fun than a typical Ton figure. They have developed special skills and use them for good. Chloe is our first heroine & she’s a good start. Chloe is the de facto leader of the group. She a skilled thief & that’s how she gets involved with Lawrence, he has something she wants. He’s a scared guy, trying to restore the family coffers and reputation. He and Chloe seem like polar opposites but in the end are really so much alike that their HEA is a given. Quite an enjoyable read. Lets get on to book #2.
#EricaRidley #TheDukeHeist #TheWildWynchesters #Netgalley #Forever #Romance #HistoricalRomance
This was a bit longer than I’m used to when talking about Erica Ridley’s books but that doesn’t mean it was not enjoyable. The Wynchesters are a bunch of misfits that are trying to do all the wrongs.
Chloe is the leader of the pack and I loved her. She is a strong female character and knows what is at stake. Now Lawrence was a bit tough to get to like. I like my men in HR to be a strong I-get-what-I-want type of men. He came a cross like someone who give the Ton too much insight and right into his life. I spent half this book wishing Chloe didn’t fall for him but Erica Ridley proved she is a master of craft because he managed to redeem him and by the end of the book I loved him for her.
Over all this promises to be another fun series and I’m here for it.
***Review copy received by the author for an honest review***
I fell in love with the Wild Wynchesters when I read The Governess Gambit. The prequel set the stage for the series perfectly. We meet all the Wynchester siblings and learn how they came to be a family. When Bean (Baron Vanderbean), their adoptive father dies, the siblings are determined to retrieve a painting stolen from them by the Duke of Faircliffe. The old duke has died in an accident, and they must deal with Lawrence, the new duke. When Chloe accidentally kidnaps him, the adventure begins.
This is a wonderful story with a duke over-obsessed with propriety and the need to marry an heiress, and Chloe Wynchester, the defacto leader of the Wynchester family and a girl whose special gift is to be unnoticed and forgettable. Lawrence is brilliant and influential in Parliament, but completely adrift in social and romantic situations. Chloe uses this to her advantage, a way to get close enough to him to find the painting. Now of course they fall in love. Lawrence still can’t get past his obsession. Maybe a good smack in the back of his head would help. In addition to problems in the romance department, Lawrence discovers a horrible secret about his father.
Twists, turns, secrets, mistakes and misunderstandings, humor, romance, and most importantly acceptance make Chloe and Lawrence’s story engaging and entertaining. Along with our wonderful hero and heroine, the other characters are amazing. The members of the Ladies of Lusty Literature Book Coven are delightful. Great Aunt Wynchester (Tommy) is hilarious. This is a great beginning to what promises to be a fantastic series. I look forward to the next story. The Wynchesters are indeed wild, but more than that they are wonderful!
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary
A top-notch romance: Great writing, well-developed characters with a great supporting cast. I really enjoyed this one.
A triumphant start to what promises to be a brilliant series
This is an amazingly thought out story to launch what promises to be an amazing series. The plot is full of emotional turmoil, with characters who have plenty of courage and determination to overcome their social pressures and come together with love. Anybody who loves steamy historical romances will love this book
This charming Regency romance is the first book in the Wild Wynchesters series by one of my favorite romance authors, Erica Ridley. While the stories interconnect, each book focuses on one couple and can be enjoyed on its own.
The Wynchesters are a delightful family of memorably quirky characters, all orphans adopted by a baron from a small foreign country. The main characters of this story are Chloe Wynchester and Lawrence Gosling, the Duke of Faircliffe. Chloe feels as though no one really sees her, while Lawrence fears too much scrutiny as a duke trying to restore the honor and finances of his family after his immoral father squandered the family’s fortune and reputation.
I found both main characters smart, kind, and sympathetic, but my heart really went out to Lawrence. He has never known unconditional love; he believes it’s a luxury he can’t afford because of his ducal duties, which he takes very seriously. Despite his own relative poverty, he sells many of his own possessions to do nice things for others. Chloe had a very difficult childhood and has been treated very poorly by society, but she has money, independence, and the unconditional love, acceptance, and support of her siblings. I enjoyed seeing these two overcome their preconceptions and fall in love, although at times, each makes unfounded assumptions and treats the other poorly.
I think I enjoyed the other relationships in this book even more than the romance. The loving bonds among the Wynchesters, the close relationship Lawrence has with his servants, and the friendships that Chloe develops with the members of her book club were all heartwarming, and the banter among these characters was often quite amusing. Also, kudos to the author for including LGBTQ representation, which I don’t see very often in Regency romances.
The story is told in chapters alternating between Chloe and Lawrence’s perspective, which worked well. The plot is predictable, but it’s fun to watch how it unfolds. Note that there are explicit scenes of premarital sex.
I recommend this book for fans of Regency romance or romantic comedy.
I was provided an unproofed ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review.
Is true love a real thing? Chloe Wynchester and Lawrence Gosling, the Duke of Faircliffe are about to clash and surprises shall abound! Chloe and her adopted family make a binding agreement to their dying adopted father to retrieve a missing item from the present Duke of Faircliffe. He is having to make all kinds of reparations because his father and grandfather have ground the estate to almost ruin, but the worst thing is that they have become social pariahs. His social apparitions is to marry money and title.
Will true love put a snag into the Duke’s plans and will love stymie Chloes plan to retrieve the item from the Duke that is not so bad after all!
The author has given us a great cast of characters and guided us on a path of growth towards inner discovery of beauty and what matters most to a person, love or social status or money? The book is full of surprises and little hints of new discoveries for the next book.
I would recommend this book to a friend.
I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions
All Chloe wants is to get her family’s stolen painting back. But the Duke of Faircliffe refuses to even acknowledge her existence. So she and her family do the only logical thing—they plan to repossess the painting and replace it with a copy.
But when she confiscates the painting, she accidentally confiscates the duke as well. From the moment they meet, they can’t forget about each other. But he needs an heiress, and Chloe is shunned by society for her ignoble birth. Can this unlikely couple find their happily ever after?
This novel is witty and fun, with unique and unforgettable characters. The plot was fast-paced and emotional, with a little steam and a lot of heart.
I received and read an advance copy of this book. This is my voluntary and unsolicited review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The con artist and the duke.
Chloe Wynchester is on a mission to retrieve Puck, a painting that has meaning to her band of orphans made a family. She is a chameleon, who is invisible, plain and unseen.
Except, Lawrence, the duke whom she accidentally kidnaps, sees her. First he sees all the layers of her, then to the person underneath. I really enjoyed Lawrence, who is not as he seems.
Fun and a romp, Duke Heist was engaging and well conceived.
Recommend.
“The Duke Heist’ takes place in 1817 England.
Lawrence Gosling, the Duke of Faircliffe is determined to all that his father was not and bring honor and respectability to the Faircliffe name. He is known as the ‘Ice King of Parliament.’ The Duke’s father left the estate in dire straits and he must find a wife with a large dowry to save everything.
Chloe Wynchester was an orphan, a ‘Whitechapel foundling,’ adopted by Baron Vanderbean. She’s a chamelion, able to blend anywhere and be forgotten. Always unseen, her deepest wish is to not only be seen, but to be remembered and recognized.
Baron Vanderbrean adopted six children over one summer. Those he adopted become known as the Wynchesters and they are an eclectic group, fiercely devoted to each other. Each have unique talents they utilize for various schemes.
When the old Duke of Faircliffe stole their beloved family painting, the Wynchesters plot and plan to steal it back after the current Duke refuses to speak with them.
The Duke struggles to keep him estate afloat, keeping to a rigid set of rules to maintain respectability and to garner a wealthy wife. He is totally unprepared for Chloe Wynchester to enter his life and take it by storm.
When the Duke wasn’t being a prat, I really enjoyed watching them together. Seeing the Duke allow himself to embrace himself while encouraging Chloe to not only be seen but to be herself as well, makes for a feel good historical romance. There were also many times I disliked the Duke and wanted to see Chloe toss him on to his backside. Love and humor with a message to be true to oneself.
I received a free copy of this book and I’m voluntarily leaving a review. If you like my reviews I hope you will follow my blog. https://wyldheartreads.wordpress.com/
ONE DELIGHTFUL JOURNEY
Blazing boxers boo! Erica whips out one fun-filled, thrillingly bewitching, rock-my-world tempest, rolls through with all the glitter and exuberance, tossing caution to the wind with this no turning back, no holds barred and take no prisoners approach, rouses this jewel to the ultimate heights. Shenanigans and happenstance descend in volley of cunning courses and brilliant maneuvers, frayed lines and sketchy boundaries solidify as missteps and misfortune are amplified and exploited, secrets are confessed, revelations are revealed and vows are pledged, wrapping this gem up sleek shiny and tight. Ingenuity and attributes in every thread you unravel with each page your lured deeper into this intriguing web so securely and precise, observing the arduous struggles and challenging triumphs, while attentive to the dramatic twists and wicked turns unfolding, showcasing the impish quirks and defying bents, launching this baby to life spectacularly. The characters, interactions and charged atmosphere along with relatable qualities and individual traits add depth and diversity, transforming into amazing personalities. The scenes are abundantly descriptive with colorful details that blend and flow, creating a majestic backdrop that’s so rich and lively it feels as though you’re part of the story instead of on the sidelines, feeling everything the characters feel. Fantastic job Erica, thanks for sharing this little jewel with us.
The Duke Heist is a fun, whimsical book. Lawrence is a duke literally accidentally kidnapped by a woman who has been repeatedly shunned by society for her origins. Chloe is one of six orphans raised together by a beloved baron and simply want a beloved keepsake back after having been stolen by the Duke’s father. Lawrence is focused on finding and marrying a society heiress to save his destitute dukedom. He has it all planned out until he winds up in Chloe’s runaway carriage and everything goes sideways.
I really enjoyed this book. I’m a sucker for a found family and the Wynchester clan are just that. Chloe and Lawrence definitely have chemistry. Chloe’s being shunned by society paired with Lawrence’s financial troubles lead to a ton of angst. Chloe’s siblings are unique and fun. It was refreshing to read about a family that not only rejected society’s expectations but also applauded one another for each other’s unique qualities. I liked the theme that money isn’t everything and being true to oneself may be most important of all.
This book is the first in a new series for Ridley. I am excited to read about more of the Wynchester siblings and would recommend to anyone who is a fan of historical romance with a comedic feel to them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an ARC of this book. The opinions here are my own.
Chloe Wynchester’s goal is to get back the painting that was stolen by the Duke of Faircliffe. She promised the only father she ever knew as his dying wish is that it would be restored to its esteemed place once again. The Duke suffered severe injuries from an accident that occurred on his way home for the thief and died shortly thereafter. As the Wynchester’s have tried to contact his son, Lawrence Gosling, the new Duke, he won’t see them; he won’t answer their letters; and totally walks by them as not even seeing them. Lawrence has a lot on his plate as his father gambled and there is so much debt that he needs to find an heiress and quickly. When his carriage ends up being driven like crazy by Chloe, they end up in a situation that neither want to be in but what happens when after seeing her at different times lets him realize he is crazy about her. Can he choose between love or saving his family’s estate. I received an free from Netgalley/St. Martins and this is my honest review.
This is my first book by Erica Ridley and now I am a huge fan. The beginning of a new series following the Winchester family, orphans adopted by the late Baron of Winchester. We follow the head of the family, Chloe, as she infiltrates the Duke of Faircliffe’s life to regain a family painting that was stolen by his father. In a game of cat and mouse the enemies begin to see the other side and have to fight their attraction for one another.
I love a good enemies to lovers trope and the Winchester family is very talented and unique, their family close and loving. I am really looking forward to more and want to know what happens to the rest of the family. I will also be checking out the rest of her books as I love her writing style. If you love historical romance then you will love Erica’s books.
One of the eccentric Wynchester’s, Chloe’s specialty is to blend in the background as plain Jane Brown. When her family discovers that Lawrence has their stolen family painting and won’t give or sell it back to them, plans are made to take it back. Lawrence is a duke desperate to marry an heiress. Chloe and Lawrence must fight their attraction to each other to get what they want. Or do they? I received an ARC from NetGalley and Forever for my honest review.