A romantic and compassionate story, The Reluctant Duchess has well-crafted characters that make this a truly enjoyable read.

The Good
* I liked the idea of this. It sounded spooky and a little bit gothic.
* some of the beginning bits were eerie and a little different.
* It was nice to have a romance hero that was different. Not the usual charming and brooding man but someone a but more complex.

The Not So Bad
* It was fairly well written but a bit dull.

The Ugly
* It moved too quickly. They fell in love almost instantly and she let a lot of weird stuff fly which was not cool.
* The characters were naïve and needed a little more personality.

Excellent old-school romance, 4th romance in a series. I would totally read the other titles by this author.

The beauty and the beast promise of the story is what originally attracted me to requesting an ARC from Netgalley. I struggled with the book and the story which did not catch my imagination. Rebecca is a squire's daughter who's wed by proxy to a duke reputed to be a beast in exchange for her father's debts. The duke who fell in love with Rebecca's picture woos her in darkness but ultimately the two fall in love and confront the prejudice of those that surround him as well as the evil machinations of his guardian to live happily ever after.

Based on Beauty and the Beast this book will make you enjoy every page. Rebecca character is a delight. The story flows nicely which makes each chapter that much more special. I truly enjoyed it!

Truly enjoyed this book about a girl who finds herself mysteriously chosen by a reclusive Duke as a bride. Unable to refuse, as her father is deeply in debt to the Duke, she is transported through England to marry the Ghost Duke about whom numerous rumors circulate. Married by proxy prior to leaving home, on arrival she finds more mystery at his home
This is part of a series, but the books are all independent of each other, with only the location in common

The Reluctant Duchess is a different take on one of my favorite themes - Beauty and the Beast. Jane Goodger's fourth book in the Bride of St. Ives series is a well-written, romantic read with Gothic elements of suspense and mystery.

Rebecca Kane is a beauty but Oliver Sterling, eleventh Duke of Kendal is only a "beast" because his affliction is not understood. His guardian and factotum Phillip Winters has perpetuated the idea that Oliver is monstrous to society and his own servants to further Winters' own ends.

When Rebecca dutifully marries Oliver by proxy in exchange for her father's gambling debts, she travels to Horncliffe Manor prepared to meet the "Ghost Duke." Rebecca is tenacious and courageous and finds Oliver is unusual but not a monster.

As their relationship develops, love blooms and they take on Society together. The road to their HEA is not an easy one, as they must deal with betrayal and an unexpected villain.

While this is the fourth book in the series, it can definitely be enjoyed as a stand alone. Goodger's well-developed characters will give you hours of reading pleasure.

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

I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The Reluctant Duchess was a an interesting story with a little bit of Beauty and the Beast twist. Oliver falls in love with Rebecca after seeing her in the painting and demands his valet to marry her by proxy. Rebecca doesn't believe the rumors that Oliver is a monster and falls in love with her husband. I was not expecting what made him a monster but it was definitely an interesting Twist on the trope. Overall in enjoyable story.

Rebecca is a strong heroine who tries to get the best from each situation. She turns her husband’s life upside down and succeeds in gradually having him opening up to her, and she doesn’t let herself be intimidated for long by the mysteries and rumors around him.

Oliver is afflicted by a problem that is not revealed immediately but I quickly suspected what it was. For the period where lack of knowledge and credulity were the norm, people’s reactions to it are understandable. As a result he lived his life in his own bubble, away from the eyes of people, his abilities put down discretely but surely since his father’s death by someone he trusts. I liked seeing him slowly coming out of his shell under the heroine’s influence, and his joy when he understands he’s no monster in reality is a delight to see! He’s the character who must evolve the most, going from recluse to a full of life and hopes man.

Together they form a very cute and well matched couple, even if Rebecca sometimes feels inferior because she’s not noble. There’s a lot of sensuality between them and we see their feelings evolve little by little.

The bad guy of the story is quickly uncovered by the reader and the heroine, but Oliver needs much more time to understand the man he’s been relying on for a long time doesn’t have good intentions at all. I also quickly suspected the answer about the ghost mystery but that didn’t spoil the pleasure of reading about it. There’s also a scandal because of a rumor near the end that isn’t mentioned at all in the epilogue when I would have liked a few lines to talk about its resolution (probably my resentful side).

All in all a cute romance I read with pleasure and ended with a smile.

The story is well thought out and nicely written making this an exciting page turner and one which I am more than happy to recommend."

This book was not what I expected. I was drawn in right away to the melancholic feel and the suspense on not quite knowing what was going on. The heroine, Rebecca, is a strong woman that I was routing for the entire time. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

Oliver is convinced that he is a monster. He keeps himself secluded except from a distant cousin, Mr. Winters, that acts as his right hand man. When he sees a painting of a beautiful woman, he is determined to make her his wife. He sends Winters out to find her, marry her by proxy and bring her back. What could possibly go wrong??

Rebecca can't believe that her father has agreed to marry her off to a stranger to settle his debts. But not wanting him to end up in debtors prison, she agrees to be married by proxy. When she arrives at her new home, she can't believe how everyone acts. And then she meets her husband...

Oliver has lived his life in the shadows. He thinks that he will lose his wife if she actually saw him, so they develop a relationship in the dark. But one day, Rebecca surprises Oliver and sees what he has been hiding. Will she leave the man she is just starting to fall for?

I really enjoyed Rebecca and Oliver's story. I will say that I had guessed Oliver's "issue" before is was revealed in the story. It was nice to see Rebecca show Oliver that hat he had thought all his life was not the truth. This allowed Oliver to blossom into the person he was always meant to be. I'm excited to read the next book in the series!!

THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS is the fourth book in Jane Goodger’s “Brides of St. Ives” series. I love a good Gothic romance and THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS has it all – creepy mansion, hidden and mysterious hero, ghostly wailing in the middle of the night, a truly despicable villain, and much more. Oliver Sterling, eleventh duke of Kendal is struck by the image of a woman in a painting. He gives his servant/distant relation the task of marrying her by proxy and bringing her back to him. I’m sold. This is the perfect Gothic romance plot that I want in a story. I found this story thoroughly riveting and couldn’t put it down.

One of the things that I initially liked about this story is that it’s not long before Oliver and Rebecca start communicating and creating an emotional intimacy – much to the diabolical Mr. Winters’ consternation. Oliver has been a recluse for most of his life and is unaware about the basics of life on his estate and the world at large. Rebecca brings him up to speed and it creates a stronger bond between them. I also really like that Jane Goodger doesn’t have the typical scene in which the former recluse turns on his woman over a misunderstanding. I hate when authors do that, but this author never does. There are plenty of conflicts and drama in THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS but, in general, Rebecca and Oliver present a united front and work together to tear down the obstacles to their happiness. Jane Goodger balances the steamy scenes with the storytelling. It’s no mystery who the villain is in THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS – it’s just a matter of determining how evil he is and unearthing all his bad deeds.

THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS has decadent Gothic thrills and dark passions to delight any romance fan. Although Rebecca is put in an extremely difficult position, I like how she keeps her wits about her and remains a mix of optimism and pragmatism. Oliver is socially awkward but his willingness to learn goes a long way toward winning his bride’s love. This may be the first Jane Goodger book I’ve read, but it will definitely not be the last.

Love, love, love, love this story. Oliver is so wonderful...what a horrible guardian he had. Rebecca is a joy, so loving.

This story was good. Great plot, good character development..read it. Now I'm going to read the rest of the series!

I received a comp copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. I honestly loved it!

Jane Goodger’s fourth installment in the Brides of St Ives series does not disappoint. It continues with the theme of love found unexpectedly with characters that are very human. Jane’s writing contains characters that have you rooting for them against the odds. There is romance, there is intrigue and surprisingly action with a twist as well in The Reluctant Duchess.

Oliver Sterling the eleventh Duke of Kendal also known as the ghost Duke because of his albinism thinks he may be destined to never find love as he can’t even get the villagers, let alone his own servants to stop believing him a monster. That all changes when he sees a portrait of a young lady that he decides will be made his Duchess. Married by proxy, Rebecca Caine had no idea of what to expect her husband to look like nor any illusions for happiness. Seriously how can she not think that something must be terribly wrong with the man has married since he’s a Duke but he hasn’t been about the ton, has to bargain for a bride and worst she knows her father was manipulated into the family’s dire circumstances to force her into this marriage.

However, when the two start to get to know each other she finds out that her Duke is quite handsome and quite a catch, but just very pale. The horrid rumors are because he’s an albino and his mother did not react well to that at birth and someone has been using ignorance to manipulate things to their liking at Horncliffe..

The book makes for a delightful read as one shakes their head not only at the horrid prejudices and the supertious ways people react to what they do not know or understand as the two start to fall in love. All it takes is a willingness to be kind and caring to see that Oliver’s life did not have to have been so tragic and lonesome. That plus allowed someone close to him that he trusted to take gross advantage of him until his wife presence in his life starts to make him question that person’s loyalty. It makes a great read to the end in order to find out who’s the villain and how it all ends for the adorable couple.

I received a complimentary download of this book from Kensington Publishing Corp. and Lyrical Press through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed here are completely my own and sincerely given.

1879

Oliver Sterling, eleventh Duke of Kendal, Horncliffe Manor, is age 28. He has been raised in isolation by Philip Winters. He had been born with a freakish appearance and is known as The Ghost Duke. When his parents first saw him, they did not want him around and, thus, sent him to Winters be be raised.

Oliver enjoys art and is taken by a girl in a painting. He demands that Winters find her because he wants to marry her. Winters is instructed to have their marriage done by proxy and then bring her to Horncliffe.

Winters goes to Rachel’s home and offers for her to marry the Duke via proxy. It appears that Rachel’s father is in debt for gambling making the family members have to do without. Winters says that if Rachel marries the Duke, that the gambling debt owed him will be forgiven. In addition, her father promises to never gamble again. It repulses Winters to have to do this because he considers Rachel just a commoner and now she will become a Duchess. He confesses his true feelings to Rachel as they travel through the cold to Horncliffe.

When Rachel finally meets Oliver, she is not repulsed at all for she understands his affliction. As they get to know one another more, will Rachel be able to bring Oliver out of his shell and back into the light?

I really loved this book. Rachel and Oliver are perfect for one another. Rachel is a strong and loving woman with compassion galore and lots of love for her new husband. The cruelty to which Oliver has been treated is appalling and she wants him to be a part of the world again. But, with her commoner background, it is a struggle for her to keep up. Ah - but there’s more and Mr. Winters is hiding some vicious secrets. There is lots in this story and I hope readers will enjoy it as much as I did.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Bartered bride!

I must admit this Beauty and the Beast stimulated story left me cold. I struggled to finish it.
Oliver Sterling, eleventh duke of Kendal, lives locked away in his overpowering mansion, Horncliffe Manor.
Having seen a painting of a beautiful young woman, Oliver decides he must have her as his wife at any cost. Little did he know his guardian Mr. Winters will follow that instruction to the letter.
Rebecca Kane has been used as a gambling token by her father. He lost and now Rebecca is the payment that will save her family from poverty. Of course Rebecca agrees. What else can she do? Oh, BTW the marriage was 'by proxy.'
How Rebecca can forgive her father is totally beyond me. Oh well, the role of the victim sits somewhere here I suppose. But wait, is this the same young woman who posed for an artist" Surely not de rigueur for a female of her standing as a gentlewoman. It seems Rebecca the victim has the wherewithal to transition to Rebecca the fearless.
Rebecca finds her new abode dark and oppressive, her husband even more so, particularly as she can never see him in any light. So she comes to know him by his personality and by his touch rather than his looks. The rest of that you can guess.
Of course there are further mysteries and the loathsome Mr. winters appears firmly embedded in them.
Sounds like a great storyline but really I was put off by the whole bartered bride and touchy feely consummation in the dark aspect.

A NetGalley ARC

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I liked it but didn't love it. I was totally drawn in at times and other times frustrated.
It's kind of a beauty and the beast story with a twist. The twist I thought unique.
The part I was frustrated with is I found the two main characters, Oliver, the Duke of Kendall and his wife Rebecca somewhat immature.
But the mysterious and devious Mr. Winters kept this story interesting.

This book, while part of a series, can be read as a standalone. I have read two others in this series. 

 Oliver Sterling, eleventh Duke of Kendal, had lived in seclusion since the death of his father when he was a young boy. His servants and the local villagers believe Oliver is a monster and no one save his guardian, Mr Winter, will look at him. when he sees a painting of a beautiful young woman, he instructs Mr Winter to track her down and arrange their marriage. 

Rebecca Kane is horrified when her father agrees to give her away in exchange for the settlement of his gambling debts. Taken away from her family and friends, she does not know what to expect of her new husband. Her only impression of her new husband is a man wrapped in shadows still the two manage to connect, and a relationship begins to develop. But can Rebecca truly love someone she has never fully seen? 

When Oliver is finally revealed, will Rebecca find him a monster or has Oliver been made into a beast by cruel rumour. There are many mysteries in the crumbling manor Rebecca now calls home, some quite deadly.

I am becoming a massive fan of Jane Goodger. She writes atypical heroes and heroines who do not fit into the world around them and yet they find the perfect partner. This book was a thrilling rollercoaster read, but the romance is at the heart of this book, and it is a beautiful romance. I am a huge fan of the beauty, and the beast trope and this version definitely has a unique twist to it. 

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

The Reluctant Duchess by Jane Goodger is the story of The Brides of St. Ives Series. This is the story of Rebecca Kane and Oliver Sterling, the Eleventh duke of Kendal. I have read the previous books but feel you could make this a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Rebecca lives in St. Ives where it is very nice although her father has a gambling problem so money is always tight but she is as happy as she can be in the situation. Then one day she is called into her father's office to learn that she is to be used in Marriage to pay off her father's debits. Oliver's mother left him when he was little because his father wouldn't send him away. Oliver and his father of course became close but then one day when he was very young he died. Mr. Winter step in to take care of him but in truth he just kept him isolated and engaged in keeping him with doubts about himself. Now in their present day, Oliver is very much isolated and thinks himself a monster but when he sees a portrait of Rebecca he wants her for his wife. Of course things are done by proxy and Rebecca is kept in the dark literally when she gets to Oliver. But Rebecca goes forward with solving the mystery that is Oliver and his situation.