In the 4th book of the Wallflowers of West Lane series, we finally get Aurora's story. Lady Aurora Sherborne, the Dowager Countess of Radcliffe is determined never to marry again after her disastrous first marriage. Lonely after watching her friends get married one by one and starting families, Aurora decides maybe marriage wouldn't be so bad - just to have a child, as long as there's no actual romantic attachment.

Garrett, the new Duke of Cowin has been in love with Aurora all his life, and when he returns after many years abroad, he's disappointed to have all those feelings rush back to the surface. Especially when Aurora makes it clear that she wants nothing romantic to do with him, or anyone else. While she sets out to establish her school and find a safe choice for a husband, Garrett must convince her that marriage to him will be nothing like her first marriage.

I really liked Aurora from the first 3 books in the series, and I wanted her to find her happy ending. Garrett was lovely and respectful, but I grew frustrated with Aurora's reluctance to be with him when she knew him so well - especially when she was willing to enter into a loveless marriage, which didn't make sense to me. This book does deal with some dark themes, so cw as well.

This had everything a historical romance should have. Dashing hero who is gentlemanly and forward thinking. A strong intelligent heroine who knows her own mind. It even has the classic friends to lovers trope.

Aurora, our lead is planning to start a school for young ladies. Not just any school though, one where girls will be able to strive as much as their male counterparts and learn any topic that they desire. Having recently been widowed from a foul and cruel husband Aurora carries scars which are more than skin deep. She vows never to marry again to protect herself despite her want for a child. Garret a childhood friend who just came into a dukedom has loved Aurora since they first met as children. The plot follows Aurora coming to terms with her demons and the fact not all men are like her first husband.

While this book can technically be read as a standalone I feel that it would definitely be enhanced when read with the rest of the series. Characters who have already had their main story told appear throughout. This doesn't distract from the plot itself but as a reader you do feel like you're missing out on some things. I will definitely be going back at some point to fill in the gaps.

I can understand Aurora's reluctance to wed after her first experience of marriage. The descriptions of this are heartbreaking but solidify Aurora as strong in both mind and body. However, I'm not a fan of how she seemingly leads Garrett along. He is open from the start about his intentions and wants. I feel that for such a strong minded character Aurora should be more conscious about her actions. I don't think she was particularly fair on Garrett who only ever tried his best.

I enjoyed the pacing and mix of different characters throughout the book and would whole heartedly recommend it to any fan of the historical romance genre.

* Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review *

Garrett and Aurora make a beautiful couple.
Maddeningly Aurora thinks that Garrett is nothing but her best friend. Even as she falls in love with him she tries desperately not to do so.
The school she intends to start is a primary factor in the story.
This is a very interesting and good storyline.
A.S. Fenichel writes an enchanting romance book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Though frustrating at times, this is a very sweet conclusion to the Wallflowers of West Lane series. My frustration comes with the heroine’s determined stubbornness, but it was nice for Aurora to finally get her HEA. And Garrett is both delicious and delightful, so it’s a very good HEA.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Not Even For A Duke. The Wallflowers of West Lane, Book 4 by A.S. Fenichel

Aurora is a woman forced to marry at 18 to an abuser who leavers her never wanting to marry again. Garret a dear friend has just become the duke of Conwin on the death of his beloved father and is also a very handsome wealthy eligible Duke. As they are life long friends and given the extreme abuse that Aurora suffered her true feelings for the duke are deeply hidden within her. He is willing to continue the fight to win her hand.

A beautifully written book covering how a woman has coped with the help of her friends to overcome the shell she became after such extreme abuse to a strong sympathetic woman.

A quick all in compassing book . Very realistic enjoyable read.

I've been waiting for this book ever since I finished the previous ones in the series. Aurora has always been a character who intrigued me, and learning what she suffered at the hands of her husband, who she was forced to marry.

This book was a fabulous conclusion to this series and I devoured it in two sittings.

I have been waiting for Aurora's book from the beginning of this series. We knew the horror she had endured during her marriage, how she felt about her future and how she'd put that aside to help her friends. I had convinced myself that somehow Aurora and Geb were going to be the pairing in her book. Enter Garrett, a smooth talking, patient, passionate man. I loved absolutely everything about him and how kindly he treated Aurora's feelings even when he was clear he didn't agree. I am so grateful that the author stated true to the strength of these women's characters throughout and never made them appear to finish as secondary stories to their relationships.
I have loved this series from start to finish. Thank you to netgalley and the author for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have not read anything by this author before, yet I’ve always noticed the cover art for this book series. It is a fresh spin on the classic “girl in the gown'' cover. Even though I haven’t read the previous three books, I didn’t feel lost.
Garret has loved Aurora since childhood. He is a great romantic hero who professes his love for Rora earnestly and often. I understand Aurora’s initial reluctance to accept Garrett since she survived a brutal marriage before becoming a widow but I think she toyed with Garrett’s affections just one too many times before realizing Garrett was NOTHING like her former husband.

All in all a good historical romance.

With the caveat that I have read no other books in this series (though I certainly plan to now!), this was a great romance read that delivers on all the aspects of the genre. The premise of a widow navigating the closest thing to freedom a woman could find in this era provided a refreshing interpretation of the “wallflower finds love” trope. I adored the entire cast of characters and the plot, while not exciting or containing derring do, created a reading experience best described as “comfortable.” The plot is realistic while being optimistic, and leads to the expected HEA for two well-developed characters. All together this book is exactly what historical romance readers love!

This is the ending the wallflowers series greatly deserved. Two people meant to be together, simply torn apart by their own fears and the past. It truly was a joy to read. I’ve loved every one of these books, but this may be my favorite. I can’t wait for the next series this author writes. I will be eagerly awaiting its arrival.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion and honest review.

This was such a lovely book filled with strong, intelligent woman, and the men who love them for it. There are some villains in the book, but they're more side characters and don't have a huge part to play. The main storyline is a woman struggling to overcome her own demons to have a happy life, and it is told well. I suspect the other characters in this story also have their own stories which I may look to read as well, as I enjoyed this one so much, even though I now know how their stories turn out

This was such a pleasure to read! I devoured it in 2 afternoons because it was very hard to put down. Garrett was such a cinnamon roll and it was a joy to experience his kindness and devotion. The large, supportive circle of friends added to the pleasantness of this tale as well. This is a very happy world and it was fun to spend a few hours there reading a sweet, spicy story!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Not Even For a Duke (The Wallflowers of West Lane, #4) by A.S. Fenichel
Five stars is not enough for this book! If you started with this book...please go back and read the first three. Aurora Sherbourn, Dowager Countess of Radcliff (Rora) and Duke of Corwin, Garrett Winslow have know each other and been friends since childhood. She survived a brutal marriage and he spent time abroad. Catching up with the other Wallflowers and their husbands is fun, there is also angst, fears of the past, laughter, tears, love, new adventures and lots of steam to get us to a very HEA.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Witty Steamy Great world building Romantic Action-packed Easy-to-read Funny Entertaining Wonderful characters Happily Ever After Page-turner Tear-jerker

When I saw the cover and read the synopsis for Not Even For a Duke, I thought this would be a great pick-me-up historical romance. I love reading historical romance, and I shamelessly read them because they serve as refreshing reads for me, even when they deal with darker topics. Unfortunately, this particular book did not do that for me.

I hadn't read any other books in this series, and while they are standalones, I think I would have been better off reading the other books beforehand.

First of all, there are multiple characters. All the Wallflowers and their significant others play roles in the story as well as other characters from the previous books. This makes complete sense and I'd be happy with it if I had been more familiar with everyone.

Also, there wasn't much of a storyline here, or at least not much of one. It definitely didn't keep my interest.

Finally, rather disappointingly, I felt no connection between Aurora and Garrett. In fact, I couldn't really connect with any of the characters.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

The cover of this book is what made me notice this book. The description was second which looked awesome.
Aurora is such a strong person who has endured way too much and has decided what her future looks like. She is the master of her world and will not give it to anyone. I love her determination and her gumption. She has a knowable mission and won't be deterred

Garrett is a true gentleman who has loved Aurora since they were little. He has all the dreamy, swoony male lead characteristics. I loved him.

I loved both the main lead, loved the pace of the story and the love story between these two
I absolutely will be reading the other books in this series

I voluntarily received a copy of Not Even For A Duke via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

After a disasterous marriage Aurora has sworn to never marry or love again. But then Garrett her old childhood best friend returns into her life and old feelings begin to stir up again as he actively tries to help her open her very own girls school. A school where women can learn subjects normally outside their reach.

This is definitely a pretty swest romance and if you are a fan of the man falling first this one is for you! Garrett was a pretty good hero as he not only respected the heroine and wanted the best for her, he also interacted and treated her relationships with the same due care. My only gripe with the romance was how much every step forward seemed to always come with two steps back. I understood Aurora's reluctance but some of her decisions didn't make sense. Especially deciding to enter another loveless marriage in order to have a kid, even though her best friend and man who loves her is like right there.

I think for my own personal tastes its a 3.5 but I'm going to round it up to 4.

TW: mentions of physical & sexual abuse

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

After her horrendous marriage straight out of school, Aurora Sherborne, Dowager Countess of Radcliff, is adamant she will never let herself be in a position to suffer again. She has seen her friends and brother all find happiness and love, but to her, love is just pain, and even though she is considering remarrying in order to have children, she will wall her heart off from any possible heartache. But then Garrett, her childhood friend, and new Duke of Cowin, returns to England, to take up his title, and the infatuation between them as children has not gone away. Every moment they are together, the sparks are flying, and it's clear that Garrett will do everything and anything he can for Aurora - even give her up, if need be. Will Aurora allow herself the possibility of love, or has the despicable Earl of Radcliffe still got his claws in her?

I've been waiting for this book ever since I finished the previous ones in the series. Aurora has always been a character who intrigued me, and learning what she suffered at the hands of her husband, who she was forced to marry, sight unseen, on her return from finishing school in Switzerland. She thought she would love him, but after a horrific wedding night, and subsequent couple of years of marriage, all wishes and dreams were taken from her. Now, she is rethinking her decision to never marry, as she wants children, and to be able to love a child, who should never hurt her like a romantic love would. She also plans to use the home she was left in her marriage contract to turn into a girls school, not a finishing school, but one where girls - of all classes - will learn practical subjects, and things like maths and sciences too. However, many of the ton think it's a bad idea, and try to dissuade her, except for the other Wallflowers, their husbands, and Garrett, who will support Aurora in anything. I honestly think this was my favourite book in the series. Seeing the other Wallflowers happy was a bonus, but having Aurora finally get a happy ending - with some roadblocks in the mean time - and to someone who truly loved her, and had done since they were children, was amazing. I wish that Aurora's father had never agreed to marry her off, and that she was able to marry Garrett when they were younger, but the past is in the past, and she is finally happy. I couldn't have asked for a better ending to the series!