Abigail Linton devoted herself to caring for her aging parent and acting as caregiver for her nieces and nephews that she feels a burden to them. She’s decided to branch out on her own and takes a position as governess on the neighboring estate of Maxwell Bryce, Duke of Rothwell’s younger sister, the man she loved years ago who broke her heart fifteen years ago. Max inexpertly arrives home he finds Abigail has taken a position as a governess for his sister. When Max wonders why Abby is so displeased to see him when it was she who’d rejected him all those years ago. Sounds like star crossed lovers, misunderstanding and a second chance at love and romance for Max and Abby. You’ll love this story of Max and Abby as they rekindle the love they shared all those years ago to finally have the happiness they both deserve. This my honest opinions after I voluntarily read a copy of this book that was provided to me with no requirements for a review.

I just adore second chances at love. Abigail "Abby" Linton and Maxwell Bryce, the Duke of Rothwell, were once best friends when they were school aged kids. When Max's mom passed away and his dad sent him away, they agreed to keep in touch through letters until they were both of age and could marry.
What neither of them knew was that the letters that each of them wrote never made it to the other, so they both thought the other didn't want them anymore.

Abby spent most of prime years taking care of her ailing mom. With both parents gone, and nearing 30, Abby decides she has to get out from under her siblings demands and take control of her own life. When she learns that Max's little sister is in need of a governess, she jumps at the chance. After all it has been 15 years since Max left.

Abby gets the job and imagine her surprise when Max shows up at Rothwell Court! Yep, fireworks are still there....too bad Max showed up with another woman and his group of friends!

As these two dance around their real feelings, the truth of what really happened 15 years ago comes to light. It takes a great leap of faith for these two to get their happy ending that they should have had years ago.

I just adored this book. Abby and Max were two young people when they met and their feelings for each other never really died as much as they tried to forget the other. I just love when love and happiness win out in the end. I really enjoyed all the other characters in the story also. Between Abby's crazy family, Lady Gwendolyn and Max's aunt Lady Hester, there is a lot of fun, entertaining craziness going on. Read this book, you will not be sorry!

The Duke I Once Knew by Olivia Drake is the first book in her new Unlikely Duchesses series and the first I have read by this author. Though it was a bit slow at the start, I enjoyed reading this second chance at love romance.

Abigail Linton and Maxwell Bryce shared a sweet and innocent young and first love. But as he was the Duke of Rothwell, this was their secret. Then through circumstances out of their control, they were separated by miscommunications, assumptions and interference by others. Believing the other gave up, both went down very different paths before they were reunited again decades later.

Believing Max never truly loved her, Abby cared for her parents and never opened her heart again. Fearing being stuck as the family spinster and tied to caring for her siblings children, she decides to take on a position of governess. Max believing Abby never loved him, decided he would never marry and became an infamous rake working his way through the women of London.

When unplanned circumstances bring Max back home and finds Abby as the governess for his sister, the sparks fly. And yet both were stubborn and determined to keep the other at arm’s length. But their connection was as strong as ever. But with so many obstacles between them, is it already too late for them? The Duke I Once Knew by Olivia Drake was a bit angsty and full of very dislikable characters. But neither Max nor Duke could deny what was between them.

I have read most of Olivia Drake’s books and enjoyed the fun of the Cinderella Sisterhood, but I liked this book so much more. I can easily recommend it. 4.5 stars

Abigail Linton is the 5th child and significantly younger than her siblings, who treat her like an unpaid servant. Being the youngest she was friends with the boy next door, Maxwell Bryce, heir to the Duke of Rothwell. When his mother died, the Duke took both Max and his younger sister, Gwendolyn, away. Abigail wrote to Max faithfully for a while but never received a reply. She cared for her parents until they were gone. Each of her four older siblings want her to live with them to help with their children. Abigail wants more than to be an unpaid servant for her family, so she applies to be the governess for Lady Gwendolyn.

Max has never returned home until a nearby boxing match brings him to the area. He sponsors a fighter and planned to stay with a friend who unfortunately was ill. So, Max, his fighter, and some “friends” arrive at his estate. Gwen, and their aunt, are thrilled to have Max home. Abby, now Gwen’s governess, doesn’t know what to think as Max seems to have greatly changed.

Eventually, they discover neither of them received any letters and their friendship starts to rekindle. Max is determined to find out what happened to the letters. I won’t say any more as I don’t like to spoil the HEA. I hope there is another book or two in this new series.

This book was a DNF for me.....

I had a hard time getting past the "great misunderstanding" that could have been solved within the first part of the book with an honest and open conversation. I usually enjoy the childhood sweetheart romance books but I just could not connect with the characters. Abigail was not a likable character in my opinion. I felt sorry for her at first because her family was awful and treated her badly, but she just had an air of superiority about her.

The chemistry did not seem to be there with Abigail and Max. I could not see Max being a rogue with how his character was portrayed and he could be absolutely nasty in how he talked to her. Even when it came to their first kiss I was just like "ho hum". No sizzle or sexual tension up to that point. This is the first book I have read by this author. 2.5 stars rounded up to a 3.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. The Duke I Once Knew by Olivia Drake is the first book in her new series Unlikely Duchesses. Abigail Linton fell in love with Maxwell Bryce when she was 15 years old but then his mother died and his father the Duke took him away to London and despite his promises to write she never heard from him again. She’s spent the last 15 years caring for both of her elderly parents, never getting the chance to have a season of her own and now firmly on the shelf she hears her older brothers and sisters squabbling over who gets to have her live with them as unpaid help in their households. Realizing she is tired of others making decisions about her life without even consulting her she announces that she is going to apply for the position of governess to the current Duke’s younger sister and take charge of her own life. Max, now the Duke of Rothewell and infamous for his rakish ways, counts himself lucky that Abby never replied to the letters he sent as he has no intentions of marrying and suffering the way his father did when his mother died. When plans to stay at a friends country house are thwarted by the household staff suffering from the measles he is forced to return to his estate for the first time since he left so many years ago. He is furious when he finds Abby in residence as his sisters governess and promptly fires her but then relents as he’s brought guests with him and needs someone to be there to add countenance to protect his sisters reputation. Sparks fly but they are both different people from those love struck teens and of course each thinks the other never wrote back to them. Medium Steam. Publishing Date December 31, 2018 #TheDukeIOnceKnew #NetGalley #OliviaDrake #StMartinsPress

There’s a bit of a Sabrina(esque) quality to this story. I’m talking about the movie with Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond. In both, the heroines (in their youth) would stand in the shadows of the estate watching the lavish parties and even more lavish people. The difference here is that in this read, the heir is equally in love with our heroine from the beginning. Yet, when his father relocates them following the mother’s dead, his letters to his lady love never make it to her. Nor did her’s to him. So, when they reunite after more than 15 years, everything is different. He’s a rake and she’s trying to escape a fate as a maiden aunt passed amongst her siblings’ households. The siblings love her but don’t give any thought for what she wants.

What follows is a great second chance romance that requires clearing the air, enduring a widow, mandatory bed rest and a wayward girl or two who is not yet out in society.

It’s an entertaining and satisfying read all the way through.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A historical coupled with a second chance romance - sold!

I loved both Max and Abby. He was proud, arrogant, and yet, beneath that haughty exterior was the vulnerable boy of his youth looking for comfort in his long ago friend. Abby, such a smart and feisty character she is. She's not afraid to speak her mind or follow her dreams. I admired her because she was able to see how her family was using her and instead of accepting her lot in life, she chose to do something about her unhappiness.

The sparks flying off these two were so hot and obvious that you couldn't help but root for them to overcome their differences.

All in all, I found this to be an enjoyable read.

I've read a few books by Olivia Drake, but I particularly enjoyed this one. It was, in a nutshell, a fun book. Abby and Max were childhood sweethearts. When they were parted, both sent the other letters, but neither one received them. Hurt and unhappy, they hadn't seen or heard from each other in years. Max went on to become quite the rake who never returned home. Abby remained unmarried, used by all her family as basically a nanny. Then Abby rebels and takes a job as a governess to Max's sister, since he didn't live there. But then he returned home...

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Abby and Max. Even when they thought they hated each other you could feel the chemistry. This story has humor (especially when Max came home with his almost-mistress and Abby was stuck in the library with them, hidden), angst, heartbreak and passion. These two stubborn people were meant for each other; you can't help but root for them. I look forward to the next book in this fun new series.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

This is a love story that spans an absence of fifteen years but in the end love wins out. Abby and Max meet again after this long separation and the old feelings start to rise to the surface and they finally acknowledge it. There is a lot that happens in this book that involves Max’s sister, a boxing match, a disgruntled lady, misunderstanding of the past, and even Abby defeating her fear of riding. There is a HEA but a lot happens before this comes about. It is a good read and well worth your time as I would highly recommend this book. The only thing that could have improved on this book would have been an epilogue but that is my personal preference.

The road to happily-ever-after was not easy for Abigail Linton and Maxwell Bryce, who met and fell in love when they were teenagers. Fate separated them, and their letters to each other were waylaid, but that first love remained in their memory.

Fast forward 15 years, and Abigail is a 30-year-old spinster who wants to spread her wings after years spent taking care of her now-deceased parents. Even though her family objects, she resolves to take the position of governess to Max's young sister.

Max is now the Duke of Rothwell, enjoys quite the rakish reputation in London, and hasn't been home in fifteen years. Fate, in the form of a measles outbreak at his friend's estate, brings him home with a party of friends, just as Abigail has taken up her position.

Max and Abigail strike sparks off each other and find their way back together, in spite of past assumptions and the scheming and meddling of Lady Desmond, a widow who is angling to become Max's Duchess.

The Duke I Once Knew is the first book in Olivia Drake's Unlikely Duchesses series. It is lovely and well-written, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an enjoyable second-chance romance.. I look forward to other books in the series.

I received a copy from the St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I tend to accept more requests for first books in a series since it is sometimes easier than trying to jump in on the middle of a series. This book is the first in a new series by this author. Max (the hero in the story) was a little rough around the edges, it took me longer than I had expected to really start to like him. He ended up being an ok guy but he wasn’t my favorite hero. Abby was ok too, if a little weak. There was a plethora of characters but for the most part they were easy to keep track of – I made up a little Linton family tree with the first chapter to help me keep everything straight. Overall the childhood sweethearts reunited trope is not my favorite – it always makes me so sad that they’ve lost so much valuable time together. Overall the book was pretty good – there were parts of the book that I liked and parts that I didn’t like. It was definitely an enjoyable read though and a very sweet love story – I’d recommend it!

I have read and enjoyed several of Olivia Drake's previous books, but this one was not one of my favorites. In general, I am not a fan of "big misunderstanding" plots because it is so frustrating for me to know that most of the problems keeping the hero and heroine apart could be solved if they just had an honest conversation. In this case, Abby and Max had part of that conversation somewhere around the middle of the story instead of waiting for the very end, which admittedly cut down on some of my frustration. However, Max's refusal to share the "big secret" of his childhood, or at least acknowledge to Abby that his parents' marriage had been strained, made it almost impossible for Max and Abby's relationship to progress. When Max finally decided that he loved Abby and wanted to tell her the truth about his parents, the speed of it took me by surprise and made his love for Abby seem somewhat unconvincing.

There were several other things about the book that bothered me, particularly that the overall plot was fairly predictable and that I didn't find the heroine to be especially likeable. At first, Abby seemed to be a relatively sympathetic character because of the way her family treated her, but as the story progressed, I found myself liking her less and less. At every opportunity, she rushed to a negative judgement of the hero and never really seemed to trust him. Even in the last scene of the book, when Max is proposing to her, she throws his past behavior with other women back in his face along with a snippy comment about how she's "not like" him because she wouldn't have "made love without being in love." It's hard to have faith in their future relationship if it is not based on mutual trust and respect, and even though Max had proven Abby's assumptions about his rakish behavior to be incorrect on several occasions, she still didn't seem to trust or respect him very much. It made me question why she would agree to marry him at all.

Overall, I would rate this 2.5 stars if half stars were a possibility, but I rounded up to 3 stars because it was generally a well-written book and a fairly light, pleasant read. I will probably give the next book in the series a try and hope that it more closely resembles the earlier books I read by Ms. Drake.

*ARC provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

On the cusp of thirty, Abigail Linton is sick of the role as the unpaid servant to her four siblings. So she applies for the post of governess to the Duke of Rothwell's adolescent sister Gwendolyn, who lives on the neighbouring estate. Although Abby has never forgiven Maxwell Bryce, the Duke of Rothwell, for a terrible betrayal in their youth, he hasn't returned to the estate. However a couple of days after Abby starts her new job the Duke & a small party arrive at the estate.
Max & Abby both feel aggrieved that their budding romance fifteen years earlier came to an abrupt end when they both wrote letters but neither received them & each thought the other had rejected their love. This is the first book I’ve read by the author & I’ll certainly be reading more. The pace of the book is good & kept my interest throughout although I felt some of the middle was a little drawn out & the ending could have had more substance as it was a little abrupt. I would have liked an epilogue. The characters are well fleshed. I liked both Max & Abby, the chemistry was apparent between them but trust had disappeared along with the letters. The secondary characters also have depth with a conniving widow, a couple of rakes, a shy teenager & a precocious debutante. I enjoy this second chance / reunion romance the banter between Max & Abby was entertaining & they were perfect for each other.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I really liked this one. It's also my first Olivia Drake book. This story is mainly about 2nd chance romances. The characters are well diverse and the storyline flow very well and at a fast pace. When Max and Abby met again 15 years later, it was during an funny, awkward position lol. Both main characters pasts are also unique especially Abby's (a much younger sibling who takes care of her family and families kids) in that I haven't read before in a historical romance.

I just really enjoyed a lot of aspects of this book! I look forward to more of her work.

Book #1 in the series Unlikely Duchesses, The Duke I once knew was a good surprise for me, as it was my first book by Ms. Drake.
Abigail Linton is getting close to her 30th birthday and is tired of taking care of her family, from her aging parents to nephews and nieces. For 15 years she's done what her family needed. In spite of her family's opposition, Abby takes a temporary position as a governess to the duke's sister on a neighboring estate.
Abby and the Duke of Rothwell, Maxwell Bridge, had met when they were teens. They were very young and, due to the circunstances at the time, they got apart. They promissed they would exchange letters, but they lost contact and Maxwell has never returned after this, nor has he answered the letters Abby sent him. That's why Abby felt she could apply for a position at the duke's home, as she thought he would never return.
However, Max does return to his estate and is furious to find Abby as his sister's governess. He is a cold man now and believes Abby is to blame for their separation, since she has never answered the letters he wrote to her.
I enjoyed reading the book very much. The plot is quite common (young lovers separated, misunderstanding, second chance), still Ms. Drake knew how to deal with it very well.
I'm looking forward to another instalment of this series - perhaps with one of Maxwell's best friends?

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 I loved reading Abby and Max’s amazing story in The Duke I Once Knew by Olivia Drake, book 1 in her Unlikely Duchess series. Youngest child, Abigail Linton spent years devoting herself to caring for her aging parents as well as the children of her siblings. As her siblings debate who she will help next, Abby decides to make her own life; taking on a position as a governess on the neighboring Rothwell estate. When she was younger she befriended Maxwell Bryce, the son of the Duke of Rothwell, her teen heart falling for him; until he left, breaking her heart. Having never returned, Abby expects that Max has forgotten her and she had no worries of running into the infamous rake. Unexpectedly arriving at his estate, Max is irate to find Abby as his sister’s new governess. He does not understand why Abby is also angry since she rejected him all those years ago. He finds that he is still attracted to her and suspects she feels the same. Maybe, they do have a second at love. Despite the chemistry and desire these two shared, they both must overcome the jaded advice given to them by their parents as teens before letting go of the past and sharing a future of love.

Ms. Drake wrote an emotionally rich and moving story filled with sexual chemistry, fun dialogue, and endearing characters that are not to be missed. I highly recommend The Duke I Once Knew to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

3.5 stars An enjoyable first read from Olivia Drake. The novel centers around two childhood friends, who fell in love as teenagers, however, due to a move to London after a death in the family and some missing letters thought the other wanted nothing more to do with them. Fast forward a little more than a decade and Max, the Duke of Rothwell, has returned to his ancestral estate. Little does he know that Abby, his former love, is now his sisters governess.

Abby took up the post as governess after realizing that she no longer wants to devote her entire life to her family and their children. The youngest by 7 yrs of 5 children, Abby has taken care of her family ever since her parents became ill and her siblings were too busy with their own lives to help. After her parents death, the siblings fight over who “gets” Abby. Fed up, she announces she’s applying for the governess job.

Max has relunctantly returned to his estate with his friends in tow. He wouldn’t have retuned if not for the household staff of the planned accommodation contracting the measles. His household is not the place to court his soon to be new mistress and he has no desire to see his little sister corrupted by his rakehell friends. All of this is going on as Max and Abby come face to face after years of not seeing or hearing from one another.

I liked the story, however, what kept it from a 4 star rating was Abby’s constant impulse to jump to conclusions and judge Max without any facts and the fact that she did it leading all the way to the end of the book. It kept me from truly enjoying her character.

Olivia Drake is a new to me author and I have to say I will be going to find more of her books to read. I really enjoyed reading this book, so much so that I read it in one day. Abby is at a crossroads when her parents die since she’s cared for them for so long. All her older siblings want her to help take care of their children, but she wants more from life. After making a stand and going after a job she wants (which in that timeframe was a little unheard of), she reconnects with the boy next door who is also her new employer and her long lost love. I can’t wait to see where the next book in this new series takes us.

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

On December 31st Olivia Drake gives us her new book, The Duke I Once Knew. It's going to give you plenty of pleasure on a cold winter day. A fresh pot of coffee, the phone on mute, and you're on your way.

Our heroine is Abigale "Abby" Linton. As the whoops child she's a lot younger than her siblings, who all seem to know what's best for her. At almost 30 years old she's decided to take control of her own life. She applies for a governess job at a neighboring estate. She's stoked to be on her own and having a salary. She may be destined for spinsterhood but it'll be on her terms.

Our hero is Maxwell Bryce, Duke of Rothwell. His teenage sister is Abby's charge. He hasn't been back to his estate is 15 years. Lots of bad memories there. On the way to a prizefight, his party's plans change and he's forced to take them all to Linton Manor. Boy he's not happy.

Seems our couple were an item before Max was taken off to London. They were very serious but fate intervened and crushed their affair of the heart. Of course Max is surprised to see Abby, he doesn't know she was hired. Neither can get past their hurt but can't stay away from each other. This causes a problem within his party and you'll want to savor the cause and effect.

Ms Drake gives us young love, old wounds and an attraction that won't be denied. You'll have a good time with this story. As this is a romance there is a happy ending. We'd riot of there wasn't. Receiving a free ARC is a privilege and I certainly enjoy the honor. Being able to share my opinion is a pleasure. Both are free and without obligation. Happy reading.

#NetGalley #OliviaDrake #thedukeionceknew #thegreycourtseries