Graham: The Broken Duke by by Jess Michaels
An Illustrated Romance with photos by Jenn LeBlanc
The 1797 Club #3

This series grabbed me from book one and kept me interested throughout. Seeing this book come up on NetGalley had me hoping for a copy immediately because this is the only book I managed not to find a copy of. So, when I an illustrated copy was listed for review purposes I clicked the button and then hoped and prayed for a copy to be bequeathed to me.

Graham is one of the 1797 Club – a group of ten young men that forged an alliance in their early teens – the club was to provide support in any and all ways as they matured and eventually became Dukes. The stories tell of their pasts, their friendships and how they come to find their life partners.

We meet up with Graham in a pub drinking away his sorrows. Two of his friends come to draw him out of the doldrums he has wallowed in for two months. He is feeling pain of betrayal at the hands of one of his brothers – a dlub-brother who “stole” his fiance of seven years – and stole her in a way that has society gossiping and staring if and when he is out and about in it. The loss of his friend might hurt him more than the loss of his fiance, if he is honest with himself.

So, off Graham goes to the theater with a preference to not watch the show but to return to the pub instead when a vision walks out on stage and he is smitten.

This is a story of Graham being attracted to two women from opposite social statuses and being in conflict with himself over this fact. It is also the story of the woman who is both of these women and her feelings while being pursued by a man who wants both of her personas...and then feeling jealous of one or the other of those women when she is in the garb of the other. This story includes topics of abuse, romance, friendship, murder and more. It has some surprises and held my interest throughout.

Did I like this book? Definitely
Did I enjoy the illustrations? Yes
Would I like to read more books by this author? Without a doubt!

Thank you to NetGalley and The Passionate Pen for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

The Story in 4 Sentences or Less: Feeling broken and betrayed after losing his longtime fiancé to his best friend, Graham, the Duke of Northfield enters an affair with famed actress Lydia Ford but also finds himself attracted to wallflower Adelaide Longford. As Lydia Ford, Adelaide feels a freedom she has never felt before but meeting Graham threatens that freedom even as his presence brings a new experience to her life. When he finds out that Lydia and Adelaide are one and the same, he doesn’t know if he can forgive her.






Like It? Hate it? Love it? Why? I’ve reviewed The Broken Duke before but this edition comes with photographs by Jenn LeBlanc and my curiosity wouldn’t let me pass up the opportunity to see if Graham and Adelaide’s story could get any better than it was the first time around.

Models Courtney Rood and Drew Leighty beautifully (and sometimes humorously) capture some of the best moments of the story and if they look familiar well it’s because they were the models for the original cover of The Broken Duke so yay! The images are all in black and white which suits me just fine because as much as I love the photos, I also don’t want to be distracted by them while I’m reading the story.

One thing that should be clear in case readers are hesitant about Graham: The Broken Duke, it isn’t a romance in pictures. Every scene isn’t depicted, just certain ones and the images are PG-13 at most. All in all the images are sprinkled through the story and add just enough “extra” to be worth the purchase.


Click It or Skip It? Click It. Jess Michaels and Jenn LeBlanc make a good team. I’m all for more illustrated versions of Jess’ books.

This beautiful special edition of The Broken Duke (1797 Club 3) includes gorgeous photographs by Jenn LeBlanc in every chapter.
Adelaide Longford is London’s most overlooked bluestocking wallflower and that is fine by her. Being ignored gives her the perfect opportunity to sneak out and secretly take on the persona of the most celebrated actress of the day, Lydia Ford. The thrill of walking the boards and hearing the applause of those who watch her is the most exciting experience of her life.
Until Graham Everly, Duke of Northfield comes into her life. He is broken after the humiliating loss of his longtime fiancé Meg to his supposed best friend Simon. Graham has no idea why he’s so attracted to both the bespectacled, prickly Adelaide and the passionate Lydia, but soon he is caught in a dance with them both and torn between which future he wants to pursue. His friend James warns Graham not to hurt Adelaide who is James’ wife Emma’s best friend but what is Graham to do?
This is the third book in the 1797 Club series & whilst it could be read as a standalone to fully appreciate it I’d recommend reading the two earlier books. The series goes from strength to strength. The characters are very well portrayed & the plot is well paced. Graham & Adelaide have both suffered in the past, both are broken & needing to be healed, their attraction is strong & their revelations are horrifying & heart wrenching. I read the original book & was intrigued by how an illustrated edition would work – it works beautifully, the illustrations are stunning & certainly enhanced the book
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Michaels prides herself on appealing to the senses. She seduces with words, stirs up the heart and intrigues with captivating mysteries. Each story is unique and her style is ever evolving. With Graham: The Broken Duke, she gives readers a chance to revisit her unforgettable characters in a whole new way. Graham and Adelaide are back, but this time around they have become a feast for more than the emotions. Ms. Michaels finally puts an image with the mental picture. Same great story with a little something extra. A fascinating way to experience romance.

Could this book bring more to the table than the original issue? I rated the unillustrated book very high the first time I read it and I feel that reading this story again brought out so many more emotions, maybe it was because of the illustrations which were wonderfully placed in the story and really lead to a feel of being with these characters. I do not know but it is a great story of redemption and friendship and love.

Absolutely fantastic book by Jess! This is such a cool book with fantastic illustrations. It is one of a kind. Definitely one of my top favorite Jess Michaels books.

I previously reviewed this book in August 2017. I received an arc of a special edition illustrated edition for review. I have added my previous review of the story to this with a more detailed review.

This is the story of Graham Everly, Duke of Northfield and Lady Adelaide. In the two months since Graham was jilted and lost his best friend in the process, he has been sulking. His fellow dukes have decided that he has languished long enough and convince him to go out with them to the theatre. Grudgingly he agrees and is immediately drawn to the actress Lydia Ford.
Lady Adelaide has long been a wallflower, seeking to escape an unhappy home life she took to the stage. As Lydia Ford, Adelaide can be the person she always wanted to be. Graham has no idea why he’s so attracted to both women, each a polar opposite of the other.
With Adelaide facing danger from two separate sources, can Graham overcome the deception?

I loved this book. Ms Michaels writes compelling characters with the perfect blend of romance and erotica. She is my goto author when I'm looking for a new historical erotica read.  Adelaide is a strong, forthright heroine who isn't afraid of going after what she wants and Graham is a devilishly sexy damaged hero that every reader wishes were their book boyfriend.

As for the illustrations/ photographs, personally, I did not find they added to my experience of the book. While I do enjoy the sight of a scandalously dressed handsome model, I didn't feel the book was enhanced by it.

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved The Broken Duke!
This story was such a thrill to read, it had love, sex, romance, secrets and danger all thrown into the melting pot. Graham and Adelaide's story is definitely one of my favourites of this series and with the photos scattered throughout the chapters, it definitely enhanced my reading pleasure as they helped me visualise the characters better, from their mood and emotions to setting the scene of the situation they found themselves in. I only wished that there were even more photos as they were so very good. I would love Jess Michaels to do this with the rest of the series as they really do make a difference to how you read the story. Great cover, wonderful story and photos that only make this more of a pleasure to read.

My Thoughts:
This is the illustrated version of The Broken Duke fromThe 1797 Club series. At the ending of Book #2, Her Favorite Duke, we found ourselves wondering what would become of Graham after Margaret ended their engagement and married his friend Simon instead. Graham after all was never in love with Margaret but was resigned to the match that her brother had made between them.
After months of wallowing in his misery he let's other friends and members of The 1797 Club lure him into an evening at the theater where he finds himself entranced by an actress.
Adelaide is a wallflower who lives a double life. Her other identity is the actress that Graham is drawn to.
Graham finds he is attracted to two women or thinks he is. Not originally being aware that Adelaide and Lydia are one in the same.
Will the knowledge that they are the same person change Graham's feelings for Adelaide?
This is another well written book in this series by Jess Michaels..
I was drawn into this book from chapter one.
I gave this book in this series 4..85 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a high sensual rating of 4.75 of 5.0 flames. Our hero and heroine seem to be drawn to each other from their first meeting.
I previously read and reviewed the original version of this title. Above were my thoughts of it. This version is illustrated and made even more interesting by the photos although I would rather see drawings. I guess it's the artist in me.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the author/publisher via NetGalley to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. I usually don't really care for the whole falling for two people who turn out to be the same person trope because it always feels a little like cheating and also hard to believe that the person can't figure out that it is the same person, however in this book it works. Graham was sweet while a little irritating about the whole fiancee falling for his friend part was weak since Graham didn't actually care for me let alone love her. The illustrations didn't add to or distract from the overall story.

This broken duke has a heart of gold. Graham, as The Broken Duke, has much conflict in his life. He never loved his betrothed during the seven years they were engaged. He seemed to feel the betrayal of her marriage to a man he thought of as a brother more than the hurt at the loss of his pending marriage. He hurt, too, at the way people pitied him.

When Graham finally decides to try entering society again, he forces an introduction to Lydia, of whom he instantly becomes captivated when he sees her on stage. Lydia feels the instant connection, too. Even though both Lydia and Graham each have secrets, there is an unusual trust and honesty between them. Both hold something of themselves back from the other.

Graham has known Adelaide for some time. At the moment he feels caught at a ball, he knows he can trust her not to demand from him what he cannot give. He is drawn to her in a way he does not understand. Ms. Michaels allows us to keep respect for Graham by not allowing our hero to ‘cheat’ on either lady. He is so very obviously conflicted in his feelings for each woman. At the point where he realizes they are one in the same and states, “Thank God,” you appreciate him all the more for his relief.

Adelaide’s reasons for sneaking out of her aunt/guardian’s home allow you to realize her life has been extremely difficult. Her aunt is not a forgiving person at all. Aunt Opal seems to constantly hold Adelaide to a standard that cannot be met. She frequently reminds Adelaide of her ‘fallen’ character to the point of being abusive, emotionally and physically. Adelaide never gave up on trying to have a good relationship with her aunt. She, too, has a gentle, kind heart.

This book touches on the issues that hurt people deeply. Yet, Ms. Michael’s makes her characters real. The 1797 Club has men who truly care about each other, sharing their love and their hurt. I appreciate that Ms. Michaels’ keeps her character connected through out her books. Allow me to say that although the pictures added to the book are nice, I am good with just the story and leaving the rest to my imagination.

An interesting premise, the first time that I've read a book that had pictures in it. sometimes they took me out of the story, and it wasn't exactly how i wanted to imagine the characters or the situation to look, but i liked the focus on the two main characters, even though there were other couples interspersed throughout who probably had stories beforehand.

I received this book as an eBook in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.

great story but the illustrations really bring it alive. Loved these two characters. Such a great courtship and romance.

I was skeptical that illustrations would make improvements to an already well written romance but was I wrong. Jess Michaels is on my top list of romance authors and I wasn't expecting much difference in this story but teaming up with Jenn LeBlanc for the illustrated re-release was pure genius!

Lady Adelaide Longford lives her life as an overlooked wallflower with her overbearing spinster aunt. Her lack of notoriety is fine by her since it enables her to live a double life, sneaking out to exercise her alter-ego as popular actress Lydia Ford. She lives for the thrill of performing and the excitement of the crowd, but everything changes when Graham Everly, the Duke of Northfield enters her life.

Graham has been broken and humiliated by the loss of his longtime fiance to his best friend. Though he never loved the fiance and it had been an arranged marriage, he was hurt by the betrayal of his closest friend. When he finally begins to venture back out into society, Graham finds himself inexplicably drawn to both the bespectacled Adelaide and the sensuous Lydia and is torn between which woman he wants to pursue a future with, especially after he begins an affair with Lydia, but still can't stop thinking about Adelaide.

When Graham learns that Adelaide and Lydia are one in the same, he is relieved, but just when he's finally found someone with whom he can share his darkest secrets, danger finds them and threatens any future happiness they might have together.

Graham is trying to figure out where he now fits in his old circle of friends. Adelaide is trying to reconcile two parts of herself and she can't resist what she's sure will be the one chance at passion for a spinster like her. Graham was a delightfully well-written tortured hero and Adelaide was the perfect match for him. I wasn't sure how Graham wanting two different women was going to be reconciled in a way that I'd find satisfactory, without making me feel like the hero was a cheater, but it was managed beautifully. Throw in a good villain and a twist at the end, plus lovely and tasteful photos and this was a rather perfect read for me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the first Illustrated romance novel that I have read. I loved it immensely! The pictures really helped to set each scene.