This book is charming, with a spitfire heroine I loved, and the Wise Women are a concept I can't wait to see explored in later books. Freya de Moray is an aristocrat currently working as a companion after a scandal left her brother maimed and her family disgraced. She burns for revenge against her brother's childhood friends who betrayed him, especially Christopher Renshaw, the boy she had a crush on. As an adult and a member of a secret society of women, she encounters him once more at a house party. Freya is there on a mission to find out what happened to a missing friend of hers (in order to blackmail a politician who wants to pass a new Witch Act), while Christopher is attending to recover blackmail evidence against his deceased wife. When they meet again, the animosity and heat between them are palpable.

Of course, hate leads to passion, and once Christopher realizes Freya's mission puts her in danger, he wants desperately to help her. Freya, of course, wants no help from any man, much less Christopher. But the heart wants what it wants, and the two find themselves bound together by not just the sins of the past, but the hope of a happier future.

This was an enjoyable read, and the sexual tension between the main characters was great. Freya's independence was refreshing, and it was wonderful to see a woman in a historical who's so staunchly anti-marriage.

That said, it isn't as strong as Hoyt's earlier work. Part of this is because it's the first in a series. She's clearly laying the groundwork for the next books, but there were so many peripheral characters that were introduced too quickly. The conflict between the main characters lasted far longer than it should have, and it was never explained why Freya hates Christopher most of all, when he merely witnessed the attack on her brother. The overlapping plots--childhood trauma, Wise Women, missing woman, Witch Act, blackmail letters--felt like too much crammed into too small a space.

That said, I will eagerly read anything Elizabeth Hoyt writes. I look forward to seeing where the series goes.

Right from the opening lines, I knew I was going to enjoy Not the Duke’s Darling. There is mystery and intrigue, but more importantly, there is a wonderful, well-written romance between two passionate characters.

When she was only 12, Freya Stewart de Moray’s family was torn apart by a horrible tragedy. She and her sisters went to live with their aunt in Scotland and were raised to become agents of the ancient secret society of Wise Women. Five years ago, Freya returned to London under a pseudonym, working as a Wise Woman and protecting the women and children who most need it. With a proposal on the table to make witch hunting openly legal and encouraged, and since many believe the Wise Women to be witches, Freya must find a way to stop the legislation from moving forward.

Christopher Renshaw, Duke of Harlow, has been back in London for two years after a 13-year exile in India. He prefers to live a solitary life as penance for his role in the Greycourt incident, but when a despicable man from his past threatens Christopher, he’s forced into attending a country party where he runs across a mysterious woman from his past.

Freya and Christoper’s romance is years in the making. While she may have only been the little sister of his best friend, Freya was always part of Christopher’s young life. But after the Greycourt tragedy, their lives fell apart, to include Freya’s estrangement from her best friend, Messalina Greycourt. In Not the Duke’s Darling, we learn of the whos and whats of the misfortune of fifteen years ago. The author does a marvelous job creating an intricate backstory for these three families, while giving glimpses as to the impacts it had on each character’s life. I have the feeling we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg.

While I adore the romance between Christopher and Freya, there is so much more to this book. A mystery surrounds the death of Lady Randolph, something Freya must unravel in order to save the Wise Women. The story is interesting and exciting, with a surprising twist. However, it is the character development and interactions that makes the book so hard to put down. The author creates interesting, multi-dimensional personalities that seem to fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

I absolutely loved the combination of an almost meant-to-be romance with the mystery surrounding Lady Randolph’s death. The Wise Women aspect is wonderful, and I truly hope it is a common thread within the series. I love a strong-willed woman who is supported by an open-minded man. The romance between Freya and Christopher is grand – something in years in the making, even though tragedy and time separated them. I love that Christopher was so open with Freya, that he loved her so much he was willing to let her go. While the witch aspect was downplayed for most of the story, I do hope we get more about the women and the rolls they play in society. It’s just a delightful and engrossing tale the had me deeply invested in the outcome.

My Rating: A- Enjoyed A Lot

First book I read from this writer and I'm already in love. First because I love historical romance, second because I love a good suspense, third because I love enemies-to-lovers.

Freya is the type of woman determined, trained to be a relentless warrior, who suffered greatly from her family's past and carries a great sorrow from those who turned back on her.

Christopher also brings a lot of heartache in his soul, regrets of attitudes that have marked his life forever.

The reunion between them promises a twist in their lives. Will Christopher be able to redeem himself? Will Freya be able to forgive those who hurt her?

With lots of adventure, cute, hot and romantic moments, Elizabeth Hoyt creates an engaging plot full of surprises. Bringing a strong heroine and a young man willing to do everything to win the heart of his beloved.

I loved Christopher's relationship with Tess and Freya's relationship with the Wise Women.

Highly recommended.


5/5 stars

I am a long time reader of Elizabeth Hoyt’s works, and her delving into actual history that relates directly to her story and her characters is one of those many reasons that I return for her next book and the next. I’m not only entertained but I learn fascinating unknown to me facts as well. There is world building in Not the Duke’s Darling, there has to be for a series that involves historical facts as well as fictional characters and their reactions to those events. I didn’t find it overwhelming, yet there is a lot going on in this story, and in the stories to come.

Freya and Christopher are intriguing characters, both with their own demons to battle. And it’s obvious that Christopher has played a part in Freya’s personal family history and events. Although their shared history is there between them, the attraction is even stronger. Each has an agenda that could work for or against their relationship. It is, frankly, fascinating to watch it being played out through their romance… and, at times, heated exchanges

I had never heard of the Wise Women sect in this particular reference, that is a fascinating bit of history that played quite well in this story. The danger to Freya is very real, and while she is bold and feisty, a woman who can take care of herself she is also a woman who can stand equally beside her man. Christopher is that man. Considering the gender roles of the time period, Christopher is a gem among men. He can let Freya fly, be herself completely and not feel one bit intimidated or ‘less of a man’ because of her personality. I quite fell in love with Christopher, a man far ahead of his time.

I would be very easy to say too much, so I’m going to wrap this up with one simple statement. This is a romance with mystery, danger, forward-thinking people and steamy moments between two people who are meant for each other. I enjoyed myself immensely and cannot wait for When A Rogue Meets His Match to become available. If you enjoy your heroines strong and determined, if a man who will let you take the lead without a second thought is your ideal man, if touches of mystery and danger only add to a romance in your opinion… then you’ll love Not the Duke’s Darling. I would recommend this story to Historical Romance readers, but also those who enjoy Mystery and Intrigue mixed in with their Romance (no matter the time period) as well.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Hoyt's new series starts off with a compelling romance that's equal parts steamy and suspenseful. I liked the idea of the Wise Women, and hope that readers will learn more about that plot line throughout the series. A great start!

Freya de Moray has a lot going on. First of all, she’s a member of a secret order of “Wise Women” for which she has assumed a leadership position of sorts. This group of women is ancient and is associated with witchcraft so unfortunately, even though their mission is simply to right wrongs for women, there is another order of men whose entire purpose is to expose the Wise Women and kill them. (*womp womp womp*) But Freya is ALSO the daughter of disgraced nobleman and thus she’s living under an assumed name, working as a lowly chaperone. She’s got a lot of rage, people and much of it is directed at one Christopher Renshaw, the Duke of Harlowe.

Once the childhood friend of Freya before tragedy divided their families forever, Christopher has his own drama. In an effort to protect his own secrets he finds himself thrust into Freya’s path once again. Of course, Freya knows everything he’s trying to hide. Also, he is pretty into her. And people are trying to kill her. What’s a duke to do?



My Thoughts
Phew! There really was a lot going on in Not the Duke’s Darling. I can’t say that I LOVED it. But I liked it a lot. Because, obviously, Elizabeth Hoyt could probably write a great book in her sleep, right? But there were times where I felt like I couldn’t quite keep up with all the elements at work in Not the Duke’s Darling. Secret society? Witch hunters? Wait, murder mystery? Hang on a minute now… But, then again, maybe my mom-brain is just overly scrambled. Life has been a bit insane in the membrane lately. I miss sleep…

Also, sometimes Freya was kind of a turd to Christopher. I mean, yeah, she had her reasons to be angry. But there were times I was annoyed by the way she treated him.

But. I still would recommend this book because it’s definitely fun. And sexy. Not the Duke’s Darling releases TOMORROW (December, 18 2018) and it will include a bonus novella. Woooo! Thank you NetGalley and Forever for allowing me to read an advanced copy.

Sadly, I was unable to finish this book. I tried for almost a week to read it, hoping I would get past my disconnect to the story and characters. Eventually I couldn't force it any longer. The secret society called the Wise Women that Freya was a part of was a vague idea that felt odd and out of place in a historical romance. I knew she was some sort of spy, and there were elders in the group called Hags. They were mistakenly accused of being witches, and were fighting a group who was trying to pass a "witch act." This is the first book in the series, so readers start out knowing absolutely nothing, and it's imperative that they have history and backstory explained to them so they're not floundering in confusion. But the little details we are told made me feel as if I had stepped into a fantasy novel by mistake. Assassins are called nemains, their enemies were called Dunkelders, and spies were machas. Why?? I kept asking this question to myself a lot, and it didn't help that Freya's personality grated right from the start. It's really hard to become invested in a story when you can't care for the characters.

I've heard so many great things about Elizabeth Hoyt's books, but this one in particular I had to accept that it just wasn't for me.

Murder, betrayal, revenge, trauma, blackmail, mysterious orders, politics, secrets, danger, and romance… Not the Duke’s Darling is a whole lotta story packed into one book. Elizabeth Hoyt dives headfirst into the intriguing world of the Greycourt family and the result is a bit of a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, I liked many of the elements to this tale. On the other, there was so much going on that everything felt incomplete.

At the center of Not the Duke’s Darling are Freya and Christopher. Christopher was once the best friend of Freya’s brother, Ran de Moray, until the night Ran was accused of and beaten nearly to death for murdering Aurelia Greycourt. It’s been fifteen years since that night, and Christopher is still haunted by it. He’s also carrying invisible scars from the death of his wife and his time as a prisoner in India. Christopher had the potential to be an intriguing hero. All the elements are there – a young man who made the wrong choice and is still suffering for it, PTSD, an adorable emotional support dog, his yearning to feel alive again – but his character development felt stifled by the abundance of plot and I didn’t get as deep a sense of him as I would have liked. Freya suffered the same fate. She’s a Wise Woman and a spy and I wish I could have learned a lot more about that part of her life, 99% of which takes place pre-book. She’s brave, independent, and definitely (humanly) flawed, but she also has a warm heart that shows in moments when the plot lets her breathe.

The romance between Christopher and Freya is enjoyable, but could have been so much more if it had been given room to grow and time for passion to be explored. Instead we are shuffled from one plot point to the next. To start, there’s the Dunkelders – men who think the Wise Women are witches and want to murder them – and their mustache-twirling plot to introduce a new era of witch hunting. The ignorance and sexism that’s innate to the Dunkelders could have been more ominous if – at the risk of repeating myself – they had been given more page time. There’s also the matter of Christopher being blackmailed, Freya’s initial quest for revenge, and looming over everything, the question of who murdered Aurelia Greycourt all those years ago. Neither Freya nor Christopher are Greycourts, but the titular family of the series is featured heavily, mostly in the form of Messalina Greycourt. Messalina is the third point of view in Not the Duke’s Darling and she’s a wonderful character who had the characteristics of a classic Hoyt heroine.

I’m a longtime fan of Elizabeth Hoyt’s which makes this book a bit difficult to put a rating on. Had it been by another author or had I been new to Ms. Hoyt’s work, I might have liked this book better (though at the end of the day, I did enjoy it). But I know Ms. Hoyt’s writing – her passionate, unique, flawed characters and their liveliness on the page – and Freya and Christopher were just missing some of that ineffable zing. I was, however, completely fascinated by some of the secondary characters. From Messalina to the mysterious Gabriel Hawthorne to Freya’s lovelorn charge, Arabella Holland, there are plenty of characters who have me excited to read more Greycourt stories. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Ms. Hoyt has in store for readers, especially given the way things ended in this book. So while I may have finished Not the Duke’s Darling wanting a bit more from Freya and Christopher, I did enjoy it and I think there’s great promise to the Greycourt series.

I liked this romance, although it seemed a bit overstuffed, maybe in part because it’s setting up a new series and the characters who will be featured in later books.

I liked the leads, Freya and Christopher. She’s feisty, and he’s a good guy with some demons, and they make sense as a couple. Freya maybe took a little too long to realize marriage to Christopher wouldn’t necessarily mean that she would lose her autonomy as a person, the way some women might if their husbands turned out to be overbearing and disrespectful. It’s obvious to everyone else that a man who enjoys it when she speaks her mind isn’t going to be that way, but it takes Freya a while to wise up.

Christopher’s demons were more interesting than those in many romances, given that they tie into an actual event in British colonial history in India. I only had a vague idea about what happened and hadn’t ever really read about it, and the details were more horrific than I knew. No spoilers, though!
The back story of the two main characters was also intriguing. Christopher had been friends with Freya’s older brother until a horrific crime and its fallout sundered their relationship. It also caused Freya to lose her friendship with Messalina, the sister of another man involved in the incident. (I’m guessing that she’s going to be the heroine of the next novel, given how this one ended. I am curious about what happens next!)

So, a lot is going on already with the characters. Then add Christopher being blackmailed and some nefarious doings regarding the wife of another man who plays a role in the plot, and it starts getting even more complicated. Then on top of THAT, add that Freya is one of the Wise Women, a sect that predates Roman Britain, and that the women in the group are being hunted as witches by group of men called Dunkelders. It’s a busy book.

My favorite romance novel by Hoyt is her very first one, The Raven Prince. It’s fairly simple: two people who seem to be an unlikely match fall in love. I sometimes wish she would realize that it isn’t necessary to stuff so much intrigue into her stories for her to write a great romance.

If you like Hoyt’s later novels, though, you will definitely enjoy reading this one.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Not the Duke’s Darling by Elizabeth Hoyt
Historical Romance
December 18, 2018 by Forever

Favorite Quote:
“They might have been lovers. Or enemies about to
kill each other.”

It must be ridiculously hard to end a long running, much beloved series. Elizabeth Hoyt ended her Maiden Lane series with the release of the last full length novel, The Duke of Desire, in October of last year. There were a couple of novellas released in November and December of 2017, but all the main storylines wrapped up with the release of Iris and Raphael’s book.

Not the Duke’s Darling is Ms. Hoyt’s first book in her new Greycourt series, featuring a all new cast of characters with a lot of history between them. Freya de Moray, our heroine, is in London under an assumed name, working as a companion to two young ladies of the ton. She is also there in her role as a Wise Woman. I would like to give a rundown of what exactly a Wise Woman is, but honestly, I can’t. I think it has something to do with helping women in need and furthering woman’s rights. But there is probably a lot more to it than that. Anyway, readers are introduced to her as she’s on the run, evading several bad guys and trying to keep an infant aristocrat out of the hands of his dastardly uncle. Which is how we meet our hero….

Christopher Renshaw, The Duke of Harlowe, doesn’t recognize the woman who jumps in his carriage with an infant and a nurse as the younger sister of one of his closest childhood friends. It’s not until much later, after they’ve verbally (and quite literally) sparred at a country house party that he realizes who she really is. He is there to meet up with a man who is blackmailing him, she is there to find out what happened to a local woman and hopefully find a way to stop legislation that would harm the Wise Women. They have a ton of history between them. Their families, along with the Greycourts, were once the closest of friends… until one terrible night which left Aurelia Greycourt dead and Freya’s brother Ranulf, heir to the Duke of Ayr, maimed and in mourning.

If that seems like a lot, it’s because it is. There is what seems like a million plot threads and side stories going on in this book. Secret societies, blackmail, family tragedies, the mysterious death of a friend and neighbor, PTSD, witchcraft legislation (which must be stopped), and last but not least, a romance. I mean WHEW. At one point there is even a third POV, and I did wonder if I would be able to keep up with everything.

I didn’t love the romance between Christopher and Freya, but I didn’t hate it either. Maybe with everything going on I didn’t fall into the romance like I usually do with this author’s stories. The chemistry between this couple didn’t really develop until well into the second half and even then it was just so-so for me. Freya is a strong willed, intelligent heroine who starts out hell bent on revenge against Christopher for what she views as his sins against her brother, but slowly softens towards him. Christopher is okay as a hero, he is honest about what he views as his mistakes and failings, and seems like an honorable, good guy. I just, for some reason, had trouble really getting on board with them as a couple.

All that being said, I’m interested in finding out more about these characters and what really happened the night Aurelia died and Ran lost his hand. I adore this author and am looking forward to seeing how the develops this series in the future.

A new start to a new series is always a little tricky. I feel like there was A LOT of front loading in the first half of this book. Not only is there a complicated backstory between the hero and heroine, there's a secret society of women (some think they're witches!), another secret society of men determined to hunt and destroy the women---then, about a quarter of the way through, there's another female character who is an old friend of Freya's who enters the picture. The duke is being blackmailed, something about his wife, and he's suffering from extreme guilt over his past inability to do the right thing with Freya's brother.

IT IS A LOT OF PLOT. I'm not sure that's a bad thing, except that I found the romance really flounders in the beginning. It takes a long time for Christopher and Freya to come into contact with each other, and then it all escalates really fast, but I'm not sure it's satisifying. There's some interesting scenes--one where they duel, and I thought I'd be terrifically excited to see a woman and man dueling. But it just was like BOOM this happened, now let's trap them overnight together.

I know that's a lot of complaining, and I don't mean it to be. Once the story focuses more on the romance, it does smooth out. But so much is packed in for a future books in the series, and It really overwhelmed the main plot.

Freya is a great character and her strength and determination definitely kept me reading through all that exposition.

What a great start to a new series. There is a 15 year old murder mystery, a secret society of Wise Women, a missing wife, and a blackmailer to be exposed. All leading to a romance between a Freya, the Wise Woman, and Duke of Harlowe, who is part of the murder mystery that points to Freya's brother doing the murder. This kept me on the edge of my seat as some things were solved and some were left hanging.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

The majority of books in Elizabeth Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series are my all time favorites so maybe my expectations were too high when I started reading NOT THE DUKE’S DARLING. However, there are several reasons I didn’t enjoy this as much as I was hoping. And here is why:

The heroine is part of a group called Wise Women. They are being mentioned but the explanation what they are comes to light at the 72% mark. Yep, that’s how long you can guess. Some may find this entertaining, but it left this reader confused, especially because the members had special names that didn’t make much sense. Macha was a spy, and the Crow…still not sure about her role…
The solution to the riddle was anti-climactic.

The heroine was a shrew for a loooong while. Look, I don’t mind prickly, spirited heroines and I understood why Freya disliked Christopher – the tragedy that crippled her brother and the role Christopher played in it – but once she fell in love with him the reason didn’t matter anymore, only her independence kept her from committing.

***She’d never before met a man outside her family who considered a woman’s being willing to act on her own decisions a good thing.***

She knew early on that Christopher wouldn’t cage her in and take away her independence. It just felt like an excuse and at some point I didn’t think Freya deserved Christopher.

The reason for Christopher’s actions that faithful night was never fully explained.. It may be a set up for their friend Julian’s book but if that is the case EH didn’t do this book a favor because how can I root for somebody like that? Miraculously I did, although I could never really forget what he did. I really liked Christopher who had a good heart and actually loved the heroine’s bristling.

“Don’t change. Don’t ever change. I like your prickliness, your scowls, the way you argue with me so fiercely.”

Christopher and Freya’s love was pretty instantaneous. They’d seen one another last when Freya was still a teenager and Christopher on the verge of becoming a man. When they meet again it takes only a couple of days for the hero to decide that he loves Freya and wants to marry her. And while I’m usually not too bothered by insta-love I have to at least feel the connection. Which I didn’t. I didn’t feel very invested in their relationship and it took me way longer to get through this story than it should have.

What saved this book was Elizabeth Hoyt’s beautiful writing and I do hope the next story in this series will be a little more plotted out and we’ll get answers we were denied in NOT THE DUKE’S DARLING.

***He looked at Freya’s sleeping face and wished he could cut open his chest and reveal his heart, because he hadn’t the words to tell her what she meant to him.***

Freya was a woman of titled nobility but reduced due to a scandal involving her brother and the Greycourts. Christopher, brother’s childhood friend was also involved, and while Freya would like to set him in his place with revenge, it soon becomes apparent that Freya may not know all the details

Freya’s newest mission leads her to a house party in order to get close to Lord Randolph, a man who wants to pass a law to once again subject women to witch trials. Lord Randolph had a wife, a much younger woman, who died under questionable circumstances, and Freya wants to make sure Lord Randolph didn’t get away with murder. Little did she know that Christopher, now Duke of Harlow, would also be at this house party. Christopher accepts the invitation to deal with a despicable man trying to blackmail him.

As they each deal with their own challenges they can’t help but be drawn to each other. Freya, because she loved Christopher once upon a time, even though she’s angered over his part in her brother’s ruin. Christopher can’t resist the feisty woman who pushes his every button with her sharp wit and cutting words. Soon they’re stealing away to satisfy the fiery passion between them and I could feel the heat coming off the pages every time they came together!

I love that Freya was a strong woman, not really influenced by societal norms here. She’s undercover, hiding the fact that she’s a duke’s daughter to get close to those who would reinstate antiquated laws in order to punish and subject woman who don’t fit into their boxed expectations. Even though I liked Freya I was a little irritated with her actions in the end. A smart woman should use all her assets to keep safe, such as asking for backup or help when facing danger. Going off alone isn’t the wisest thing in my opinion, especially a woman facing off with a man. Her resistance to Christopher was annoying, too, even though it was clear she loved him as he loved her. Thankfully, these situations weren’t long and drawn out so I still really enjoyed the story.

Elizabeth Hoyt’s historical romances are always beautifully written, sensual and captivating so I was excited to dive into her new series. Not the Duke’s Darling was an entertaining start to what looks to be a fantastic series! Can’t wait for the next story!

A copy was kindly provided by Forever via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Freya de Moray wows readers and draws them into her story with excitement and a hint of a troubled past. Not the Duke's Darling, the first of Elizabeth Hoyt's new Greycourt series, introduces a group of childhood friends torn apart by tragedy and the first steps to repair the bonds they once cherished.

As a ranking member of The Wise Women, Freya lives her life helping women and children in need. Her mission is to prevent a law that will allow the burning of witches from passing. It does not include reconnecting with her family's enemy, Christopher Renshaw. Now the Duke of Harlowe, Christopher is trying to hold off a blackmailer and protect his late wife's reputation. Freya's appearance brings to light the events that happened at Greycourt, when one of his best friends nearly died.

I'm so eager to know what really happened that night, because Freya only relates to the event based on the aftermath and her brother's response. I love that this story presents a tragedy with parts of the truth missing. Everyone involved has a different perspective about what happened and some of them haven't even been introduced yet. That single even helped shaped Freya's view of the world and her decision to work with The Wise Women. I would love to see how other characters, like Messalina and her brother, were affected.

The Greycourt series begins with an unconventional courtship and a little danger! This story is perfect for fans of Grace Burrowes or Amelia Grey.
*ARC provided in consideration for review*

Hard as it is for readers when a favourite, long-running series ends, it must be equally so for the author who has lived with those characters and scenarios for years – and who then has to follow up that success with something new that will continue to please fans of the previous books as well as, hopefully, gain them new ones. Having closed the book on the hugely popular Maiden Lane series last year, much-loved author Elizabeth Hoyt now faces that particular challenge, and presents the first book in a new Georgian era series about the Greycourt family and their immediate circle – Not the Duke’s Darling.

If you’ve looked at the advance reviews on Goodreads, you’ll have seen a plethora of four and five star reviews for the book, so I’m afraid I’m going to be a dissenting voice. Not the Duke’s Darling was Difficult to Get Through. It took me twice as long as it would normally have taken me to read a book of this length, mostly because I was able to put it down easily and wasn’t engaged enough to want to pick it up again. There were a variety of reasons for this, not least of which are that the book is disjointed, episodic and overstuffed with plot, the heroine is hard to like, and the romance is woefully underdeveloped.

The Greycourt series is predicated on a tragedy that occurred some fifteen years earlier which tore apart three families who had previously been very close. The death of sixteen-year-old Aurelia Greycourt, who had been set to elope with eighteen-year-old Ranulf de Moray, eldest son of the Duke of Ayr, had far ranging repercussions which left Ran crippled and near death, and his friend, Christopher Renshaw, hustled away to India and an arranged marriage with a young woman he’d met exactly twice before.

Ran, who inherited the title Duke of Ayr almost immediately after these events, lives as a recluse and his brother Lachlan administers the dukedom. Ran’s sisters – Caitriona, Elspeth and twelve-year-old Freya – were sent to live with their Aunt Hilda in a remote village in the Scottish Highlands, where they learned the ways of the ancient secret society of Wise Women, a group dedicated to helping women throughout Britain utilising their centuries-old knowledge of herbs and healing. Once a thriving group of thousands, the witch hunts of the previous centuries have decimated their number and even though these were made illegal by Witchcraft Act of 1735, old beliefs and superstitions continue to run rife, and Wise Women still run the risk of accusations of witchery being levelled against them.

Fifteen years after the death of Aurelia, Freya de Moray has risen through the ranks of the Wise Women to become their Macha – she calls herself their ‘spy’, as it’s her job to keep her ear to the ground to find out what is being said about them and also to find causes for them to interest themselves in. At the beginning of the book, Freya is racing through the streets of East London on her latest mission when she ends up jumping into the carriage of Christopher Renshaw, the man she blames for what happened to Ran and the destruction of her family.

Freya may be the sister of a duke, but she no longer lives as one, having taken a position as companion to Lady Holland and her two daughters while she fulfils her duties as Macha. Freya has learned that support is gaining ground in Parliament for a new Witch Act which would make witch-hunting legal again, and that its main proponent, Lord Randolph, is going to be present at an upcoming house party to which Lady Holland has been invited. Freya has heard that there is some suspicion concerning the recent death of Randolph’s wife and reckons that if she can dig up enough dirt on him, she’ll be able to blackmail him into withdrawing the bill.

Up to this point in the story, we’ve had two points of view; as is common in most romances, we hear from the hero and the heroine. But after we arrive at the house party, a third voice is introduced, that of Messalina Greycourt, Freya’s former best friend. It turns out Messalina is well aware that Freya is now working as a companion, although she has no idea why, and she has decided, so far, not to expose her as the sister of the Duke of Ayr. Messalina and her sister, Lucretia (references to other siblings indicate they’re all named after Roman emperors and empresses) are also attending the house party, and are also intent on finding out exactly what happened to Lady Randolph, who was a dear friend of Messalina’s

In the meantime, Christopher Renshaw, who has returned from India a widower and has become Duke of Harlowe, is intrigued by the drab but surprisingly feisty companion who seems set on crossing swords (both literally and metaphorically) with him at every turn. He has come to the house party in order to confront a blackmailer who is extorting an outrageous sum of money in return for the letters written to him by Christopher’s wife while they lived in India.

So… we’re not even half way into the book and we’ve got Wise Women (and I’m sorry, but whenever I read those words, all I could think of was the “she is the Wise Woman” scene in Blackadder), two lots of blackmail, a mysterious death and a parliamentary plot; the story is being told in three different PoVs… dare I say it’s no wonder the romance is squeezed out to the extent it’s practically non-existent?

Christopher has the makings of a decent hero. Pushed into an arranged marriage when he was just eighteen, he tried to be a good husband and to take care of his young wife, and he blames himself for the circumstances of her death. Given he last saw Freya when she was twelve, it’s not hard to accept that it takes him a while to recognise her, and I appreciated that once he does realise who she is, he doesn’t waste time in telling her the truth – as far as he knows it – of what happened on the night Aurelia died. There’s still a mystery surrounding her death, which I presume will be solved in a future book, but Freya realises that she’s misjudged Christopher all these years and begins to unbend towards him, which allows them to acknowledge and explore the attraction between them. But their relationship is dreadfully underdeveloped, the chemistry between them is notable only by its absence, and the sex scenes, which Ms. Hoyt normally excels at writing, feel forced and hurried.

I had a hard time getting a handle on Freya and began to actively dislike her towards the end of the book, mostly because of the way she treats Christopher. I understand that it can be very difficult to create strong, independent heroines in the context of historical romance because women had so few options and so little agency at the time many of them are set. Unfortunately, however, many authors fall into the trap of trying to show their heroine’s strength and independence by having her running roughshod over the hero and treating him like his feelings don’t matter – and that sort of inequality does not a good romantic relationship make. (For the record – I don’t like it when the situation is reversed, either. A good romance should be about an equality of minds and outlook, not one character getting one over on the other). Freya crossed the line between strong and independent, and insensitive and stupidly pig-headed once too often.

I feel like I haven’t really scratched the surface of Not the Duke’s Darling (another completely nonsensical title that has nothing to do with the story) in this review, but there is so much going on I just can’t fit it all in. I haven’t even mentioned the Dunkelders, for example, men out to capture and wipe out the Wise Women; and the plotline concerning Lady Randolph’s death is resolved in a manner I can only describe as ridiculously melodramatic. Characterisation and relationship building are the major casualties of this train-wreck of a novel, and much as it pains me – as a fan of Ms. Hoyt’s – to say it, I really can’t recommend it.

I'm still relatively new to Elizabeth Hoyt but I fully intend make up for lost time. I normally love my historical romance to be on the light side with lots of witty banter. While there is banter there's a decided edge to the banter and the mood is much more dark than romp. However, that didn't keep me from thoroughly enjoying this book right from the start.

Freya is all action with lots of prickles and an enormous backstory. Christopher is dragging around and equally fraught backstory and has walls built around his walls. He does have a dog named Tess who in my head is a yellow lab mix and I want to hug her. They have serious chemistry with a hefty dose of antagonism.

This book features two of my least favorite plot devices - hidden identity and revenge - but somehow here it just works. It helps that the hidden identity isn't so much hidden as one not recognizing the other and the other not mentioning exactly who they are. I don't know exactly why the revenge worked but it did!

This wasn't flawless. I found all the mentions of Wise Women a bit annoying after awhile and it always drives me crazy when there's a huge traumatic event in the characters' past that's only vaguely mentioned but isn't fully explained - or at least not for more than a quarter of the book. However, these were fairly mild annoyances and didn't keep me from enjoying the book in the slightest.

All the Scottish mentions, the house party, the suspense, and the mystery mixed in with the romance made this fantastic snuggle under a blanket with a hot cup of tea winter reading.

"New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Hoyt brings us the first book in her sexy and sensual Greycourt Series!

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 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 first, he will have to earn Freya's trust...by whatever means necessary."

Isn't it lovely to have a new series to start for the holidays? And there aren't any other books of equal quality coming out this week either!

First in the new Greycourt series, Hoyt starts us off with a spot of danger as our heroine, Freya, is on the run from some men and finds herself face to face with her childhood crush, Christopher, but who she also blames for her brother's downfall. There's some background foundation to the hows and whys of where are characters are at in life. The main thread is Freya's brother, Ran, tried to elope with Julian Greycourt's sister, she ended up dying (we aren't given specifics), and Christopher just stood by while Ran was beaten bad enough he ended up losing his right hand. Ran, Julian, and Christopher were bestfriends but this fractured their bond and they all separated, the other members of the family cut ties all with each other also.

The Wise Women had long been hunted by Dunkelders— nasty, superstitious fanatics who knew about the Wise Women and believed they were witches who should be burned.

While the ill fated elopement gave us the underlining emotional tones, the Wise Women that Freya is the Macha (spy) for, gives us the suspense as she is trying to stop a law in the House of Lords that gives free reign to declaring women witches along with her trying to hide from members of the Dunkelders, men who hunt “witches”. These are the two main plot threads but there are numerous other ones, some slight and others weighty, that at times only clog an already full story. Christopher has PTSD induced anxiety from his time in India, we get povs from an old friend of Freya's, Messalina Greycourt, who's storyline looks to be set-up for the next in the series, an imprisoned wife, and a whole slew of secondary characters that get little mini-plots of their own. I like full stories but none of these threads or plots were fully fleshed out and it left a lot feeling shallow and dull.

This, this was what he’d been missing without even realizing it: genuine conversation. Genuine feeling.

The romance and chemistry between Christopher and Freya was severely lacking for me; I had more fond feelings for the relationship between him and his dog. Hoyt has been a favorite with word play, sexual and taunting, but these two never sparked; it felt like he just found her attractive out of nowhere, while she relied on childhood feelings and the color of his pretty blue eyes. While their bedroom scenes didn't start ridiculously early, besides kissing once or twice, when they do start to get hot and heavy, Freya's first move is to give him a blowjob, because of course. The latter second half brought more sexual scenes but I almost found myself skimming them as their emotional connection wasn't there.

He might be a duke now, but she was a de Moray woman , small, swift, and above all ruthless.

My biggest disappoint and what frustrated me the most was that Hoyt introduced these interesting ideas, plots, or instances but they all happen off script. The intense ill fated elopement? Happens before this story takes place, no prologue to introduce, show, and explain the basis for the whole the series. Christopher's time in India? No flash back scenes to help immerse the reader into the emotional turmoil of his PTSD or his relationship with is first wife. Freya spending time with the Wise Women? It takes an absurd amount of time for the reader to even get a full explanation of who and what the Wise Women are, let alone the author writing and showing scenes of Freya interacting with the women. This could have been a great emotional fulfillment moment of showing women taking care of one another, bucking the system in a way they could, and female bonding while providing a solid and understandable reason for why this group was so important to Freya and why she might shy away from marrying Christopher.

I missed Hoyt's normally atmospheric writing, I did not feel the time period at all, and the sexual heat between the leads that she has a knack for expressing. This honestly felt kind of generic and with dukes popping up everywhere, I'm not sure I could pick this book out of a lineup. The second book is set-up here and with two leads that at least seem like they have some spark, I will give it a try but am hoping for more showing than telling and emotion.

I may have enjoyed the fairy tale Hoyt starts each chapter with better than the actual story! She's started a new series after completing her Maiden Lane series which would be hard to top. She does an admirable job trying. I'm looking forward to the next installment.