I really enjoyed The Silent Duke. Ewan and Charlotte have a history because of his friendship with her brother. Ewan especially had a traumatic past and it was great to watch him finally fall in love and get some happiness.

I love a book that draws you in and you start to feel invested in the characters and Ms. Michaels does just that in this book. The characters in this book are different the Hero is stubborn, and a mute who believes he is flawed but he is kind and so is the heroine. I love the different type of characters.

I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 because, the ending felt extremely rushed to me it is finished (no cliffhanger), I just thought there should have been more personally. However, I look forward to more by this author.

I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jess Michaels has a way of breaking your heart then roping you in to the story and not letting you go until she has mended hearts and lives to happiness.
Ewan Hoffstead, Duke of Donburrow was born mute and berated by his father and mother daily for being born broken until he was ten years old. His father threatened to put him into an asylum and his aunt and her husband stepped in and took him into their home and raised him as one of their own.
Charlotte Undercross now the Countess of Portsmith grew up with Ewan and were the best of friends. They created a hand language all their own to communicate faster then Ewan writing everything down. Charlotte and Ewan always had a bond that went above all their other friends.
Charlotte knows Ewan is a kind hearted and highly intelligent man but years of mistreatment and harsh words have a way of forming ones thoughts of themselves. Ewan, in his heart knows that he’s not the person his father claimed him to be but years of comments, others actions and fear of passing his mutism to a child has left him set on a path of never marrying. Charlotte has one last chance before going back on the marriage mart to convince Ewan that they are meant to be together but walls built years ago may be to high to climb and to strong to crumb.
Review by Lori Meehan for Book Obsessed Chicks

3.5 stars
Overall, it was worth the read and I didn't dislike it as much as some of my friends did. Some of the hoopla at the end could have been cut out and it could have been turned from novella-ish into a novella, but oh well. I had read the first book in this series and really did not enjoy it, and had been nervous about the others, since this is my first foray into Jess Michaels's work; while there were some echoes of what annoyed me in The Daring Duke (Book 1), on the whole, I enjoyed the two main characters and found the romance between them very sweet (and sizzling).

Charlotte (24), Countess of Portsmith has recently come out of mourning and is spending the holiday season with family members and, most importantly, the love of her life: Ewan (27), Duke of Donburrow. Sadly (but not really), the rest of the party gets waylaid due to poor weather conditions, and Charlotte and Ewan find themselves alone (with an army of servants, of course) for several days, before the holiday party can get started in truth. Now, what are they to do during this time?! Lol

In all seriousness, it is a bit of a quandary, because they both are in love with the other, though Ewan has been determined since forever to not let anything come of it. He doesn't want to saddle Charlotte with a "damaged" man whom she'll only come to resent and be embarrassed by, and he never wants to have a family, lest one of his children should have to bear the same burden he does (have I mentioned Ewan is mute? I'm assuming you've read the summary/back cover).

They give into their desires quite quickly, which was fine with me because they have a long-standing relationship and although we only have one flashback at the beginning, their relationship is written very well, in the sense that you totally feel the friendship and easiness they have with one another. Ewan, of course, refuses to make it anything longterm, and Charlotte says that if nothing comes to pass between them, then she'll be going to London to go back on "the marriage mart" (which made no sense to me: even if it's true her husband's property left her nothing, her brother is a rich Duke and she could easily stay with him, at least a little while).

Eventually, the rest of the family joins them, and then we just have to hold our breath to see what happens and if Ewan will finally give in and admit his love and devotion to Charlotte (I'll leave you in suspense, since I wouldn't want to ruin the ending by letting you know whether they get together or not ;-).

Although the hero-resisting-love ploy is so often employed, it actually made sense in this one; the damage and abuse that Ewan suffered in his early years, from those who should have loved him but did anything but, have taken their toll. Thankfully, his aunt and uncle saved him and he went to live with them when he was 10, but he still has all the other bad reactions that he has to deal with due to his muteness and it makes complete sense that he is wary to "drag" (as he sees it) Charlotte into his world.

I loved that Charlotte was having none of it and was so determined to fight for them—because it really is for them. There is no doubt as to the attraction between them and their connection is unbelievably close, so thankfully he never pulls the "I just don't love you" card to purposefully hurt her and push her away. This means though, that Charlotte knows they have a chance to be incredibly happy, if only Ewan will allow it. Charlotte could have otherwise come off as just a sweet and somewhat uninteresting heroine, but the battle she puts up made me really like her.

Not a reread for me, but still an enjoyable couple of hours that I would recommend to others (which is basically the definite of a 3.5-star rating from me). Enjoy!

This is the fourth book in what is turning out to be a very enjoyable series- The 1797 Club- by this Author .

Born mute, Ewan Hoffstead, Duke of Donburrow was abused by his father , made to feel useless , his scars both physical and mental affecting his place in Society............. his self esteem gone .
Recently widowed Charlotte may be the 'proper' Countess of Portsmith to Society but she has decided that now is the time to pursue her childhood dream ..... Ewan, whatever it takes .
Their families have been friends for years and when Charlotte is invited to spend Christmas with Ewan and the members of the 1797 Club and their wifes she decides that now is her chance .
On arrival she finds that only Ewan is present , the others delayed by bad weather .....can she make Ewan believe that they are made for each other or will others who have determined that Ewan is unfit for his title hold sway .
Dangers and misunderstandings must be resolved before another member of the 1797 Club finds true love .

DNF @ 70%

I really tried to connect with the story but I just couldn’t, sorry.

I hope to try again in the future.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36445944-the-silent-duke

Posted to my goodreads account.

Ewan Hoffstead was born mute. As soon as his father, the Duke of Donburrow, realized that his son and heir wasn’t “perfect,” he began treating him as an idiot and abusing him, encouraging his younger sons to do the same. Finally, when Ewan was ten years old, his uncle begged that Ewan be given permission to live with his family. His father agreed, only wanting Ewan out of his sight. Here Ewan found love and acceptance from his aunt, uncle, cousin, and their friends, Baldwin and Charlotte.

Charlotte and Ewan adored each other and became fast friends, even developing their own version of sign language. With everyone else, Ewan communicates by writing notes on the small tablet and pencil he always carries with him. When Charlotte turns nineteen, she confesses her love to Ewan, but he rejects her. Though Ewan loves Charlotte as deeply as she loves him, he feels unworthy. Finally convinced that she’ll never have the man she loves, Charlotte marries another, a marriage that lasts five years, until his death.

Meanwhile, Ewan’s father has died, and though Ewan is the legal heir, his mother and brothers fought to have the title taken away from him. Though Ewan won the battle, and has been declared the Duke of Donburrow, he is completely estranged from his family.

When Charlotte’s year of mourning is up, she is determined to try to win Ewan’s love one more time, before she once again moves on with her life. She has never stopped loving him, and he has always loved her deeply. Ewan feels broken and deficient, and refuses to ever father a child, fearing that his muteness may be passed down. Still, when Charlotte draws on all the skills she learned during her four year marriage, and begins to seduce Ewan, he is powerless to resist. They begin a long overdue passionate affair at a house party, though Ewan makes clear it will not lead to marriage.

It’s heartbreaking to see Ewan’s low opinion of himself, and his resignation to live a life alone. Charlotte and Ewan were perfect friends as children, and are perfect for each other as adults. They also have an off the charts sexual chemistry, which Charlotte is determined to use to win Ewan over.

THE SILENT DUKE is a well written and emotional installment in the 1797 Club series. There is a lot of pain in Ewan’s story, and while I understand that his feelings of unworthiness stemmed from the treatment he received from his family, I found myself wishing that he had been more proactive in pursuing answers from physicians as to his muteness. He did show his strength in battling his brothers for the right to the title, and I greatly admire him for that. I believe that his love for Charlotte was so strong, that he wanted her to have a love that was perfect, and in the end, she does. Recommended.

Wow what a powerful story about two young people finding a way to overcome one's handicap. This is a 100% must read story. Have your tissues ready people you are going to need them. I am so glad I was given the chance to read an advanced copy for my honest revive. This is a wonderful love story that started when this couple were but children and grew and grew.

What’s it About? As a child, Ewan Hoffstead was the victim of abuse from his father until Ewan’s uncle took him in and raised him. As an adult, he is now the Duke of Donburrow, a title that his uncle fought long and hard to make sure was his. Born mute, Ewan harbors a belief that someone like him isn’t meant to have the title or happiness until his old childhood friend Charlotte shows up at his estate for a Christmas gathering.


Widowed Charlotte ends up the first to arrive at Ewan’s home for the holidays but when a storm keeps the rest of the party from arriving on time, Charlotte sees it as her chance to pursue Ewan romantically. She’s always loved him, ever since they were young and she used to trail behind him, his cousin, and her brother. She gets so close to convincing Ewan that they belong together when his mother and brothers show up to cause trouble for him.



Overall reaction to the story? I really adore this series from Jess Michaels because even though each book is dedicated to each couple’s romance, there’s also this strong brotherly bond that exists between the men of the 1797 Club that carries over to each and every book. I love good friendships in romance and not just between the hero and heroine. In The Silent Duke I feel I got a double dose of friendship because Ewan had his brothers from the club AND he had Charlotte’s unwavering friendship. I loved the similarities and different nuances between Ewan’s two friendships because each one gave him something unique and invaluable. To me it just added to the emotional investment I have had in this series since the very first book.With this one there's a touch of suspense to it to go along with this friends to lovers romance.




Describe the hero in five words: Loving. Patient. Generous. Intelligent. Angsty.

Did you like him? Yes.

Why? Despite Ewan’s abusive early childhood, he grew up to be a very kind man who was loyal to those in his inner circle. I liked that Ewan made people love him just because of the way he was. He had such a huge capacity for love that was obvious to everyone who knew him. Ewan was the only one who was oblivious to how easy it was for him to love and care for someone. Which is another point in his favor. He wasn’t arrogant, in fact he was a very humble duke who saw the title as more of a responsibility to take care of the people around him rather than as a tool to get whatever he wanted. I also enjoyed the challenges that his being mute presented because things that other characters took for granted, like asking for tea, sharing his point of view, even just saying hello was something he couldn’t do and had to find his own way of doing.



Describe the heroine in five words: Patient. Kind. Intelligent. Determined. Brave.

Did you like her? Yes.

Why? Charlotte is very similar to Ewan in terms of how kind she is to those closest to her. She’s gentle, quiet, and loving but when she or her loved ones are threatened she showed a different side of herself that was as formidable as any duke. Her love for Ewan was something special, once again because he was mute, Charlotte had to find ways for him to communicate with her and for her to show him that she didn’t see him as anything less because he couldn’t speak. I loved Charlotte’s easy and natural way of showing affection not only to Ewan but to her brother, mother, and Ewan’s aunt and cousin. She was warm and welcoming without being a pushover.



Let’s talk about the romance: Ewan and Charlotte had a connection that went back to when they were kids and that connection didn’t fade even when they had been apart for a long time. I loved that their romance was built on such a sweet childhood friendship. Charlotte always cared for Ewan and they had this wonderful connection and chemistry from the start. There was never any question that these two were meant to be together and so I got frustrated right along with Charlotte every time Ewan made up reasons why they couldn’t be together! By the end though even Ewan could see that they were just made for each other and they were just the sweetest couple!





How about that supporting cast? I don’t think that there’s going to be a point in this series where I don’t mention how much I love these dukes and their loyalty towards one another. While all of them have yet to be in the same scene, I love getting the mini reunions and seeing how devoted they are to each other and how these men have become brothers in everything but blood.


Click It or Skip It? Click It. The whole series is great but a romance with a completely mute character like this one is something special.

I have enjoyed reading the books in the 1797 Club series. This fourth installment is no exception. Ewan, Duke of Dunburrow, was born mute and experienced severe emotional damage caused by his parents' rejection of him. One guiding light in his life was always his childhood friend, Charlotte. Charlotte had always loved Ewan, but went on to marry another man after Ewan rejected her love. Now Charlotte is a widow and she is determined to make Ewan realize that their love is greater than his damaged self-esteem.

The whole book is basically Charlotte's attempts to use seduction as a means to a greater emotional connection. There is a great deal of steamy sex in this one. Ewan's stubbornness in the face of his intense attraction to Charlotte is a little excessive, but he is a very sympathetic character. I loved Charlotte's single-minded focus, even when she went somewhat overboard. This was a good read overall, and I look forward to the next book in the series.

PS - I love the cover!

ARC provided by the publisher.

Another wonderful book by an author whose book I really love. Each and everyone that I've read so far, I've loved and "The Silent Duke" was no exception.

We met Ewan Hoffstead, the Duke of Dunborrow before when he turned up in one of the other books. The Silent Duke, the one who can't speak and who has much to tell. As well as his friends, the other Dukes, his family was somewhat lacking especially in the loving and caring department. When his uncle rescued him from his parents' home, he had already suffered a lot. The constant abuse has led to lots of self-doubts that are overshadowing his interactions with other people, well, especially those with women.

When due to circumstances his longtime friend Charlotte is his only guest, things start to change. Having lost him once, Charlotte doesn't want to give up on him for good without even trying to show him how things could be. Mix in a bit of family drama and some attempts at finishing Ewans life, stir in some of the warmth and the wonderful and loving characters that I've come to expect when reading a book by Jess Michaels and you'll end up with the perfect recipe for another amazing book that I've already read more than once up to now. Now I'm looking forward to the next book in this great series.

Love love loved!! Jess Michaels delivers another great Duke! Torn between love and shame Ewan must decide if love is worth the risk!! Deep complex characters with equally passionate love scenes!!! Great series!!

I one clicked on this bad boy the minute I finished reading the blurb, and it gave me everything I wanted. Namely a mute and abused hero fighting himself over a chance at happiness with the woman he has loved his entire life. Yes, yes, 100 times yes.

Ewan (I even love his name) spent 10 years in the home of the father who hated him. It wasn’t until the man threatened to put him in an asylum over his inability to speak that his aunt and uncle took him away and decided to raise him as their own. Charlotte was only seven, but she felt a special connection to her brother’s friend, so much so that she developed a special sign language that allowed the two of them to talk.

Fast forward nearly 20 years. Charlotte is now a widow, just coming out of mourning. She is about to re-enter the marriage mart, but she wants to try one more time to make a go of things with Ewan. You see, she confessed her love to him before she ever got married, but he pushed her away. Now that she’s no longer an innocent, she has another tool in her belt to aid in her efforts and she is not above using seduction to finally win the man she loves.

As luck would have it, Charlotte is the only guest at a house party at Ewan’s estate before a storm makes the area inaccessible. She’ll have no better chance to work her magic, so she gets right down to business.

I was a little worried at the beginning of this book because I felt that it was progressing too fast. I expected much more build before they kissed or progressed further. I was also a little skeptical of their special secret (highly complex) sign language. However, those were probably my only reservations. I enjoyed this book very much.

Ewan was so wonderfully damaged and totally in love with Charlotte. It was so angsty and sad and sweet. Despite my initial reservations, I ended up loving the way he was completely powerless to stop himself from responding to her. And did I mention… he was a virgin??? Of course, Charlotte helps relieve him of that problem pretty quickly. Unfortunately, it’s much harder to convince him to consider any kind of future between them.

This love story is one stolen moment after another and it’s so bittersweet watching Charlotte and Ewan get tiny tastes of what they’ve both always wanted together. Ewan’s dad did a real number on him and even though he’s now got the dead man’s title, he hasn’t found peace.

I feel like I’ve spoiled too much already. Suffice it to say, Ewan and Charlotte are very easy to root for and their HEA is super-satisfying.

This is book four in the 1797 Club series, but holds up entirely as a standalone.

Rating: B/B+

Wonderful, sexy story. I had already fallen in love with Ewan in the previous story so I was excited to read his happily ever after. His friendship and bond with Charlotte is so sweet and I absolutely loved them together. This story is equal parts romantic and steamy with a swoon worthy happily ever after!

ARC provided by NetGalley.

As I expected, this book had so much emotion and pain but also so much love that makes you want to say awww! Jess Michaels just gets better and better. Lately, her books have been involving even more emotional depth but not so much where is just a depressing sob fest. Lots of endearing and of course sexy moments to enjoy. I really understood the struggles that Ewan was dealing with and why he pushed Charlotte away. Almost everyone around him was so cruel and completely awful to him that I just wanted to smack them all. It is believable and understandable that he wouldn't want that kind of life for anyone else so his actions came from his good heart. I can see the desperate need they have for each other and the love is shining through as well. I really loved Charlotte. She is just perfect for Ewan and loves him unconditionally. She is warm, caring and one tough cookie. They work so well together that all I can see is a happy and wonderful life together.

Love love glove this story. Silent duke, loving heroine, cold hearted family, kidnapping, murder plots, jealousy and so much more. Couldn't put it down

The Silent Duke by Jess Michaels is Book Four in "The 1797 Club" series. This is the story of Ewan Hoffstead the Duke of Donburrow and Charlotte the Countess of Portsmith.
Ewan is deaf and his father and younger brothers made his life awful because of it. But when he was around 10 years old his Uncle took him him and fought for him all the way. Charlotte and Ewan were childhood friends and she has always loved him. When they were older she had hoped they would end up together but Ewan rebuffed her feelings leading her to marry another. But now about five years later, she is a widow and hopes to get her second chance at love with Ewan. Ewan is finding it hard to turn Charlotte away this time. But his family is still making it hard for him due to his hearing loss.
But will he be strong enough to have her and fight his family?
Really enjoyed their story!

The Duke of Donburrow’s heir, Ewan Hoffstead was born mute. His father could not accept that his heir was less than perfect and tried to beat, berate and shame him into speaking. The Duke even went so far as to threaten to have him committed to an asylum and he would never inherit the dukedom. Thankfully his loving Aunt and Uncle took Ewan in to live with them raise. Ewan endure such an unimaginable pain from heartless and mean-spirited parents and younger brothers as a child and even into adulthood. When Ewan was 10 years old he was befriended by Charlotte Undercross who at the age of 7 helped Ewan through the worst days of his young life and together they developed their own sign language to communicate with each other.
Charlotte has always loved Ewan with all her heart. She once told him of her feeling and he told her could return her love, he refused her and she married another. Now she’s a widow and determined to pursue the man she has desired and loved her entire life.
Ewan is hosting a Christmas celebration at his estate with several friends and family and Charlotte is among those to attend. Charlotte makes it to Ewan’s just as fate intervenes and a winter storm causes rivers to rise and Charlotte is alone with Ewan for a few days before the other guest arrives. Charlotte knows she needs to convince him to let go of his past and embrace a future with her. Ewan has always loved Charlotte, he just can’t ruin her life by marrying him. They give into their passions and desires in a story filled with heartache and forgiveness. Can Charlotte convince Ewan to grab his one chance at true love and happiness to find the HEA they both deserve!!! 5 STASRS!!!
This is my honest opinions after I voluntarily read a copy of this book that was provided to me with no requirements for a review.

Charlotte Undercross, a Duke's daughter, gave her heart to her brother's friend, Ewan Hoffstead, but he didn't reciprocate. Now a widow of the late Earl of Portsmith, fate has given her another wonderful opportunity to coax Ewan, now the Duke of Donburrow, out of his misery and to make him admit his feelings for her.
Ewan is mute from birth, his own family was utterly repulsed by what they consider as a handicapped child. All Ewan's insecurities stems from this rejection and deemed himself unworthy of Charlotte's affection. But their long friendship and their mutual attraction is deep-seated, their union is inevitable.

When one is deprived of the power of speech, one compensates it by action. Charlotte and Ewan even invented their own sign language. Ewan expresses his undying devotion and incredible fascination to Charlotte through his deeds and through their intimate hand signs communication.

This tale depicts the power and the restrictions of family, love and friendship.

This is also exceedingly sexy and wonderfully written with interesting characters. Five stars.

I voluntarily read a complimentary eGalley copy from the publisher. This is my impartial review.