This is my first Olivia Drake book but won't be my last. The characters are more complex that they seem on paper. Max is a rougish Duke who comes home to his estate after 15 years bringing a woman that he woud like to make his mistress. Abby is a tight laced spinster who has spent the majority of her life as an unpaid servant for her family. These 2 once had feelings for each other as teens but when Max was taken away from the estate by his father - their feelings were unkowingly (to them) destroyed when his father confiscated letters that they promised to send to each other.
Meeting again for the first time in 15 years is akward and Abby is now the governess for Max's 15 year old sister.
You can't help but root for these two as they understand how they were deceived and wonder if they can renew the feelings that have never really left.
When they get to the Happily Ever After the reader is cheered but I would have liked to see an Epilogue with a final happy note.

Childhood friends......will the memories last a life time? Conniving fathers, Rakes and Governess......Let the fun begin. Enjoyable romantic tale. I really enjoyed reading

The Duke of Rothwell and Abigail Linton fell in love as teenagers but that relationship was severed by misunderstanding. Fifteen years later they will meet again but this time he is a hardened rake and she has moved from her role of unpaid family servant to his sister's governess. I loved both characters and was glad to see them unite. I would have loved to see Lady Elise get her comeuppance for her nasty behavior and attempt to keep Max and Abigail apart. This was a great story that was filled with great moments throughout. I really enjoyed the plot and subplots. This book was an ARC from Net Galley.

❤️❤️❤️
💋💋
A Duke and a Governess, who knew each other as teenagers, meet again years later , and discover they still have a feeling for each other , but there is trouble lurking to disrupt their joy .
A good book and it’s enjoyable to read , I found a few places it lacked for pace or lost its rhythm a little , but on the whole it was good and I’d recommend it to others to read .
I received an advance copy of this book and chose to submit a review

OK we have the old misunderstanding from years past that separated these 2 lovers and now returns when the Duke returns to his old homestead. (of course it will be ironed out at some point which is not a spoiler unless you are mentally challenged)

While I really liked this story it has all the things most want, a bit of humor (not a lot), a heroine trying to learn to be a stronger woman (her loving family tended to take her for granted), a beautiful but somewhat evil rival and horses .

I won't get into all the plots and subplots but the fact if the author got you interested in a couple of these and let them die silently with no real mention BUT the reason I almost gave it 3.5 Stars was because I was mad with what I considered an unnecessarily abrupt ending, with no more than 2 or 3 pages the author could have given us a smooth ending but instead let us see none of the interaction with characters we had been introduced to in the book. So 4 Stars barely because it WAS a really good story but that ending was bungled in my opinion.

4.5 Stars
THE DUKE I ONCE KNEW by Olivia Drake is book One in the Unlikely Duchesses series. This is the story of Maxwell Bryce, the Duke of Rothwell and Abigail Linton.
Max and Abby were young when they feel in love but Max had to leave with his father and sister. Both making promises to write letters and that he would come back for her. But a misunderstanding from someone wanting them to stay apart kept them apart. Now several years later they are once facing each other. Abby had taken to helping her parents and then her older sibling with their children. Now nearing 30 years of age she wants something for herself even if it means working for Max's sister as a governess. Max hasn't returned home in several years but he comes home with some friends and a future mistress but he is shocked to find Abby there. Sparks fly between the two along with harsh words until they both start to figure out what happened and what they still want.
Really enjoyed this book.

Though she loved her family dearly , she yearned for something more. Something of her own choosing.

First in the Unlikely Duchesses series, we have a heroine wanting to make a change. Abby was the surprise baby, her older siblings were already out of the house as she grew up. She ends up taking care of her older parents, missing a debut in London, and eventually landing into a role as caregiver for her nieces and nephews. It is when her family is arguing over who gets to have her that Abby decides she would like some control and freedom in her life. She decides to become a governess for the younger sister of the Duke of Rothwell, who just so happens to be her childhood love.

Her rapt gaze followed the dusting of black hair that narrowed to a line, trailing downward across his flat belly to disappear inside his breeches . He looked every inch the wicked rake that young ladies were warned to avoid.
Thirty-year-old spinsters ought to know better, too.

This story was filled with cliches and tropes that help make up the backbone of romance and while they provided the, somewhat, requisite sweet and romantic moments, it also gave this a been there and done that feel. You won't get a fresh take or be particularly inspired by this story but you will like the heroine, she saves this from getting the mediocre tag and raised the rating from two to three stars. Her family is not malicious in their selfishness or obliviousness to Abby possibly having her own wants and needs but they are still selfish and oblivious. The author did a wonderful job infusing and relaying Abby's emotions to the reader, her quiet determination and fear from stepping out on her own. There wasn't villainous family members or a one eighty change from Abby, she still wanted to be in her family's lives but didn't want theirs to be hers. I thought towards the later half we lost a little bit of Abby as the focus shifted to the hero, Max, and the tired “Don't love because it can weaken you”.

It was an unsettling thing for a man to question the state of his life. Especially when only a few days ago, he’d found it to be perfectly satisfactory.

The cliches I mentioned before, really hit hard on Max. He is the child of a marriage where his father loved his mother more than she loved him and he now feels he has to shun all love connections. There is a Misunderstanding that has him hardening his childhood heart against Abby but other than a quick plot trick, it is discussed (Thank-you!) and while not completely solved, figured out enough to not be a problem between them anymore in the first half. Abby does outshine him but he also doesn't ever break out of the duke, rake, and scared of love mold; he just isn't interesting or memorable. Their sex scenes do come in the second half but as there wasn't much emotional build up to them, they still ended up feeling abrupt. As a consequence, I can't say I was ever too invested in their romance or caught any sparks from them.

Along with the sweet, fun, and romantic cliches and tropes, there were some very tired ones. There is a “villainous” woman who wants Max and plays into the one dimensional social climbing, jealous other woman. This used to be a favorite of romance but it has been tending to move away from it and at this time, I much rather see female friendships or at least villainous women with some depth (in a time period where it was tough for women, this can be written as intelligent and powerful stratagem).

All in all, this had a sweet inspiriting heroine, Basic Ben hero, tired other woman character, and some possible interest in reading their stories secondary characters.

Oh, hell, why deny it? He was in love with Abby. And nothing in his life had ever shaken him so much.

At her nephew's Christening with her older siblings squabbling about wanting Abby to live with them, Abby wants to have more of a life than an unpaid servant to her family. Unbeknownst to Max, the Duke of Rothwell, Abby becomes the governess to his sister. Abby feels safe that she won't encounter Max, her former teenage sweetheart since he hasn't been home in fifteen years and never kept his promise of writing. Unexpected circumstances divert the duke and his party to his ancestral home shortly after Abby arrives. Adding to the awkwardness, Max has brought a potential mistress to his home. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I really like this book. Abby is a strong woman in an awkward situation. At first, I didn't like Max. After Max realizes that their letters were impeded, Abby can see glimpses of the boy she loved in the sophisticated male. This was a quick read with interesting characters. There is some steam, but overall a good story.

This is a lovely second-chance historical romance between Abigail, a governess, and Maxwell, the Duke of Rothwell. They haven't seen each other in 15 years, and each blames the other for not writing as promised though it turns out that they both wrote but neither received the letters. Now Maxwell has returned to his home with some friends and the woman he thinks will become his mistress. You can imagine that the governess and the planned mistress do not become the best of friends!

This was a bit of a slow started for me, but the further I got into it the more I enjoyed it.
Abby and Max were teenage sweethearts separated by life and misunderstandings. Fast forward 15 years and we see Abby struggling to find her place in a world where 30 is “on the shelf” and Max is going through the motions.
Once we got past some of the set up and were able to see Abby and Max really interact, I found myself really enjoying them. Abby was easy to like, even when I felt badly for the situation she was in. I also really like the dichotomy of her character. Biddable and pleasing in on hard, but strong willed and independent on the other.
Max was a little harder to get a feel for, but his evolution was one that I found appealing. It was easy to see that his emotional growth had stunted in his mid teens. I would have appreciated seeing a little bit more of his actual journey to embrace the changes in his life vs the idea of the changes being a fait d accompli after the fact.
Overall this was a fun book that is worth the effort to get to know. I did struggle a little with the neat and tidy bow that everything was tied up in, especially after such a long time apart and the very different ways their lives had developed.
The characters are interesting and I would be curious to see what happens to Max’s extended group of friends.

This is a book that is easily and quickly read. It was diverting and offered moments of entertainment. However, no one thing stuck out as being truly spectacular.

I find that the first book in a series can be underwhelming as the author sets up the world the stories will play out in. I hope that the moments I saw as lost opportunities in the story will be holes that are plucked and expanded upon in the coming book in the series.

Overall, enjoyable but a trope that has been time and again.

This was one of those stories that really had nothing that stands out, nor is it completely horrid. The author has a flowing writing style (even if she does repeat herself more often than necessary, yes we know who is who and no, I do not need to be reminded every few chapters). I also noticed that she used "paw" to replace "hand" more than once as well.

I enjoyed watching Abigail and Max navigate their new reality (aka who they are as adults, and how they feel about each other), and I even enjoyed the cast of minor characters (even the "villain" of the story who was a bit one dimensional). I wish there had been a bit more depth to the characters, and some not so obvious plot-lines added, but overall I think this story will appeal to fans of second chance romances, and I would read more from this author.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by Olivia Drake in quite some time, and I enjoyed it. Thanks goes to the publisher, via Net Galley, for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.
The Duke I Once Knew is an entertaining Regency romance with engaging characters and an intriguing plot. The writing flows beautifully, and the pacing is excellent. The book has just the right amount of details while still allowing me to use my imagination.

Abigail Linton’s character is endearing. While she has an overbearing family, who think they know what is best for her, she is determined to make her own way. She is also a good friend to the young lady under her care.

Maxwell Bryce is an awesome hero. He has any of the characteristics I love in a male protagonist. Although he is definitely a rake of the first order, he takes his responsibility to his sister and the dukedom seriously. When he discovers that each of their letters went astray, I could feel his confusion and pain.

The romance between Abigail and Maxwell is lovely. The sexual tension between them shows the expertise of the author to understand it is one of the most desirable characteristics of historical romance. The soft touches, the lingering kisses are what it’s all about in that sub-genre.

If you enjoy Regency romances with engaging characters, then you will enjoy The Duke I Once Knew as much as I. I look forward to reading the next book in this delightful series. Happy reading!

I enjoyed this well-written book. It is a lovely second-chances love story with flawed but likable main characters and a ‘perfidious peahen’ of a villain. Overall, I loved the story, but I did think that some of the middle section could have been pared down and that space reallocated to flesh out the end because I thought the end was a little abrupt.

Abigail (Abby) Jane Linton is just weeks away from her thirtieth birthday. This upcoming birthday has her considering her life – she is unmarried, has no prospects and is at the beck and call of all of her much older siblings and their families. At this very moment, they are all around her loudly discussing her future – which of them she should live with, what she can do for them, which of them needs her services the most. Not one of them has asked her where she wants to live or what she wants to do. This will be her future – going from one home to the other being the unpaid companion, caregiver, nursemaid – whatever. Now, she loves her family unconditionally – and they love her, but she just has to have at least one adventure in her life. So, amidst all of the family arguments, she interrupts and announces that she is going to apply for the open governess position at Rothwell Court.

Rothwell Court is the property of Maxwell Bryce, the Duke of Rothwell, although he hasn’t lived there for fifteen years. He’s actually only visited there once, very, very briefly in those fifteen years. However, it is the home of the duke’s much younger sister – Gwendolyn (Gwen). Gwen has spent most of her life living at Rothwell Court with only the company of her governess, an old aunt who pays little attention to her and the servants.

Maxwell (Max) Bryce’s father whisked Max and his newborn sister away from Rothwell Court when his wife died. Max was sixteen and he was in love with the girl from the neighboring estate – Abby, who was fifteen. They had a tiff on the day of his mother’s funeral and they never saw or spoke to each other again for fifteen years. Each had promised to write and Max had told Abby that he would come back and marry her when he reached his majority. Each kept their promise about writing letters, but neither received any letters, so each thought the other to be faithless. Max’s father preached at Max constantly about not falling in love because love only made a man weak and brought him nothing but pain and heartache. Max took that advice to heart and became one of the biggest rakes in London.

When Max unexpectedly visits Rothwell Court and finds Abby there – sparks fly – and not necessarily the good kind. Max has brought several friends from London and one of them is the woman he wants to become his mistress. Abby can’t believe it and constantly takes him to task about exposing Gwen to that woman. Max and Abby still feel that strong attraction that was there when they were 15 and 16, but both fight those feelings – especially Abby because she doesn’t want any part of the debauched man Max had become. So, I loved watching the two of them grow and come back to the sweet love they once had for each other. I did think it took a bit too long to get there, but when it happened, it was lovely.

I recommend this book and hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview

"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

I promised a fair and honest review in return for being allowed this ARC. What a delightful read!! So well written with vixens, villans and so much love. This book really kept me glued waiting for the next scene to play out. Put it on your reading list and you will see what I am talking about.

When two childhood sweethearts find themselves together after years apart, does their romance have a chance to be rekindled now that he’s a duke and she’s a governess?
Misunderstandings abound in this lovely second chance romance. Communications between our hero and heroine were misdirected so when neither one heard from the other they rightly or wrongly decided that there was nothing to be pursued.
Now they are grown and he has come into his title as Duke. Far from what they were as childhood sweethearts this interesting pair are still very attracted to each other.
His sister needs a new governess and she wants the position. Her family takes her for granted and making her own way is just the ticket to get her out of that mess and as they say from the frying pan right into the fire!
This book is well written and the characters are engaging. Olivia Drake has done a masterful job with this second chance romance title.
I gave this book 4.5(rounded up to 5) of 5.0 stars for storyline and character development. It contains some sizzling intimate scenes and gets a medium intimate rating.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book through NetGalley to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

This is a delightful story of second chances. The characters were so engaging and I loved Abigail and Max. I really enjoyed the entire story and I look forward to the next installment of this series.

Second Chance Love.
Max and Abby haven’t seen each other for fifteen years. Both feel let down by the other and because Max has avoided visiting his estate and Abby never had a Season due to nursing elderly parents, it is not until his unexpected visit that they discover that neither had received the others letters, all those years ago. But Max has changed from the sweet and gawky youth that Abby remembers and an attractive widow has her sights set on becoming Max’s duchess which further muddies the waters. A sweet second chance love story. Would have liked an epilogue as the ending felt a little abrupt.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

That book description pretty much gives you the whole gist of this book. But there is so much more to discover in the wonderful construction of character, action , Regency morality and just delightful story telling. There are an abundance of dissipated aristocrats to look down their noses at the sweet, clever country girl. There is a close knit family who actually care for one another in spite of being wrapped in their individual dramas. Thank you, Olivia Drake for this lovely romance.

"The Duke I Once Knew" by Olivia Drake
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Abby and Max and the other people in their corner of the world. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC as a gift via NetGalley. It is good when the story moves along at just the right tempo... not to fast making you feel like you missed out on something,,, and not so slow you feel like you are never going to get to the meat of the story. Like I said... this story was a pleasure to read. Just right in all the ways that count.