Another great addition to the Georgian Gentlemen series! The characters were so engaging that I couldn't help feeling invested in their story. The relationship between Sebastian and Rosalind was so sweet and I love how it developed through small things.

A slow build Georgian era romance. I was immediately drawn into this story. 11year old Rosalind has been denied access to the tree house at Finley Park. Simply because she is a girl! When she goes inside and finds her father, she is horrified to learn that, on her 21st birthday, she is to marry the awful boy in the treehouse! Fast forward 10 years, the day of reckoning has arrived. I loved the main characters of Rosalind and Sebastian, their personalities, banter, desires and integrity are spot on. The storyline is sweet, fun and entertaining. I enjoyed the tender and timid ways they grew in their marriage. I did continue to turn the pages, waiting for the suspense to happen. When it finally did, I was not disappointed. Great read from a great author!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

An Unfamiliar Duke by Sian Ann Bessey is the fourth book in the Georgian Gentlemen series. It has an arranged marriage, two number loving characters, a healthy dose of suspense, and a kissing gate.

Rosalind and Sebastian have been destined to marry since their fathers arranged their marriage as children. Neither person is thrilled about the arrangement, but they decide to make the best of it, much to the dismay of Rosalind’s other suitors.
As Rosalind and Sebastian spend more time together, they learn they have much more in common than they originally realized. But will their newly found friendship be enough to weather the storms ahead of them?

I just love Sebastian and Rosalind. They just fit together. Every interaction they had made me feel like these two had been together for many years instead of a few weeks. Both characters are very mature, intelligent, dependable, and courageous. These two faced so many challenges, but they always came out stronger together.
I loved how protective they were of each other. I loved seeing them work through a mathematical problem together, serve tenants together, and rescue one another from multiple dangerous situations.

I loved the combination of swoony moments with suspenseful moments. All the romantic moments, from Sebastian comforting Rosalind, holding hands, forehead kisses, or flirty moments at the kissing gate, felt so natural and had me swooning every time! Similarly, all the suspenseful moments had me cheering for the characters and hoping they would succeed. I loved that both types of moments brought the characters closer and allowed us to see a lot of different aspects of their personalities and their growing relationship.

Overall this is a sweet Georgian romance with a great balance of swoony and suspenseful moments. I absolutely adored the characters and loved seeing them grow closer with every challenge they faced.

If you enjoy sweet and swoony historical romances set in the Georgian era with a healthy dose of suspense, and arranged marriage tropes, you should definitely read An Unfamiliar Duke!

I think this is my favorite book in this series and I have loved them all! I enjoyed reading about the various inventions that were being made during the Georgian era. The thread of mystery woven throughout the book had me turning the pages until the end!

I received an ARC through Netgalley and all opinions are my own.

Sian Ann Bessey has done it again with An Unfamiliar Duke. This is a story of an arranged marriage and the couple getting to know each other.

I love the way their interactions are written as much as I love getting to know the characters as they get to know each other. This is a fantastic story and may be the best yet in this series.

The opposition is vile, which makes their getting to know each other even sweeter. Rosalind and Sebastian are great characters that are also struggling to get to know themselves. This makes for a beautiful story that took me away to another world for a few hours. I am looking forward to going back.

I received an early copy from the publisher through netgalley and this is my honest review.

I can't think of a single book where I've disliked the story that focused on a marriage of convenience where the couple ultimately fell in love. I mean I guess I'm just a sucker for this trope. An Unfamiliar Duke was no different.

Rosalind and Sebastian have been betrothed since infancy. Their fathers were friends and hoped to spare their children the difficulties of finding a good match. Sebastian and Rosalind seemed to have only really met once in their past when they were children. Sebastian was fifteen I believe, and Rosalind was eleven. They didn't have the best initial reaction to the other. Rosalind talked a lot for a boy that was used to being mostly alone. And Sebastian cut her out in a way that made Rosalind feel unwanted. The two grow up knowing from this point that they're betrothed, but both are hoping to find a loophole to escape the contract.

Unfortunately, the contract their fathers created is pretty airtight legally speaking. When the upcoming marriage can no longer be ignored, the two meet, and Sebastian at least asks Rosalind what she wants to do. Luckily, these two ended up having some common areas of interest that laid the work for a friendship to form. From there things built rather slowly. Through shared experiences and teamwork, these two begin to develop a relationship that is not quickly broken.

The relationship drove the story for me in An Unfamiliar Duke which is always my preference. Although there was a mystery or an added layer to the story that created some suspense and action mostly at the end. None of that was unpredictable. Yet I didn't mind because, again, it wasn't the driving force of the story.

Favorite quotes:
-"You possess all the qualities necessary to be a marvelous wife."

-And if she truly wished to keep her list balanced, she must include the good no matter her current feelings.

-"...do not wish to compete with anything higher than this level of passable."

An Unfamiliar Duke was just what I was hoping it would be. Rosalind and Sebastian essentially have a marriage that they didn't pick yet can't get out of. They find a way to build a friendship that develops into more. All the while there are forces trying to work against them. I enjoyed every part of this book. An Unfamiliar Duke gets 4 Stars. Have you read An Unfamiliar Duke? What did you think? Let me know!

This is a charming, slow development Georgian romance book using a familiar trope of an arranged marriage. Things are bumpy are first but they slowly fall in love as they get to know each other and realize they have to be willing to forgive each other for failings during this time period. It is also a clean romance but that doesn’t mean it lacks for some sparks.

It also uses the many scientific and engineering developments during this period as a backdrop for action that adds a zip to the story. This was the beginning of the industrial revolution and the scientific discoveries of this time set the foundation for our modern age. There was money to be made and a race against other inventors to bring machines to market. That always leads to some people willing to go to any extreme.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

I have read a few of Bessey's books, and this one is my absolute favorite!! The characters are wonderful. There is a lot of growth in the book, a lot of compromise. It was a book that had good tracking, a great plot and was written so well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read!

Rosalind, our protagonist, has never gotten over Sebastian’s rudeness to her in childhood, when she was the tagalong little sister of his friend. An only child, he was awkward and didn’t really know how to communicate with her. But she’s never forgiven him for banning her from his treehouse. She’s definitely not a fan of the whole arranged marriage thing, although it is a relief not to have to take any of her suitors at balls too seriously. She loves math, and hates having to hide her interest. Still, it hurts that Sebastian has made no contact until shortly before her 21st birthday and their impending marriage.

Sebastian, while a nobleman, is also somewhat of an engineer. He has worked with some of the great inventors of his day, and wants to make life better for the tenants on his land. He is not particularly social, but wants to honor the arrangement their fathers made. It doesn’t hurt a bit that Rosalind is attractive and intelligent.

Of course, there are hurt feelings as they learn to communicate with each other. He won’t let Rosalind in his workshop, and she finds that insulting. But he isn’t put off by her love of numbers—in fact, he offers to teach her.

Of course, there’s a disappointed man who wanted to get his hands on Rosalind’s money. And of course, he ends up making trouble for Sebastian.

This was a very quick read, and I found the character development overall to be quite good. Our villain was a bit of a cardboard cutout, but he served his purpose well. It wasn’t too hard to predict what Rosalind’s role would be in Sebastian solving an engineering problem. Even though I saw it coming, the actual event came about naturally.

Possible Objectionable Material:
Some people get injured when a clearing a tree from a cottage roof. A little bit of peril. Some kissing.

Who Might Like This Book:
Fans of regency romance, especially when aspects of real history are included. As with other romances from this author and publisher, it is squeaky clean.

Thank you to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for providing an ARC in exchange for my opinion.

This book is also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2022/05/new-this-week.html

Wow. Just wow. Sian Bessey writes some of the best historical fiction I read. It’s never too heavy on the historical details, but she slyly slips it in. I almost feel like a toddler who’s mom is sneaking in vegetables into all the exciting foods, like Zucchini bread. I don’t want her to stop the fun fictional romances, but if she had more time in her day, she should think about writing a history text book. I would read that in a heart beat!

So back to THIS book. Sebastian is friends with a lot of inventors and we get to hear some of the industrial Revolution big names. Big names I didn’t even know about 😂 I love reading her authors’ notes at the end because it’s the big vegetable reveal. Like I’m going, “wow! You made me learn so much and it all was amazing and fun and I want another slice of your history lesson!! When is your next book??” (October, I think)

Sebastian and Rosalind are dreading the day they are forced to marry, but their blossoming romance is so incredibly sweet and slow burning. Their first kiss 😍😍😍 so sweet!! And the nerdy chemistry between the two is adorable. I love nerdy love. Sebastian married the belle of the Ton and a closet nerd, oh I loved their little relationship.

And lastly, the adventure. So we always get a history lesson that is secretly coated in rich romance and a last half of adventure, I feel like that’s a guaranteed recipe of The Georgian Gentlemens books. The last half of this book flew by with some exciting and intense rescues and heroism 😍 It’s as though Mrs. Bessey has figured out the perfect recipe for love, adventure, and history. Brava, brava.

An Unfamiliar Duke is book 4 in the series, but to be honest, it could be read as book 1 because it gives me prequel vibes of the first book in our series. Go grab this one, you’ll want to be in on this richly coated romance

An arranged marriage is never easy, and Sebastian and Rosalind have every reason to be hesitant about this one. However, I really enjoyed their story and watching their relationship blossom. They really complemented each other and I loved how they worked together. There were some moments of peril, but they only made the story that much sweeter.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley and this is my honest review.

Rosalind and Sebastian were betrothed almost at birth, but meet only once as children - at which time each makes a poor impression on the other. The prospect of marriage is far from appealing but unavoidable. As the date approaches, Sebastian returns to London and society. Each is pleased to find that the other is not by any means what they remember, but can love be possible from such an absence of relationship? As the two spend time together after a hurried wedding, affection does begin to sprout, but can love overcome her uncertainties and his secrets?

This book was like a thick, warm blanket on a cold night - soft and snuggly, with substance but no harshness. While the two had work to do to develop into a true couple, they worked at the relationship and communicated - the difficulties of an arranged marriage without the unnecessary angst and with (of course) the satisfying happy ending. I loved the story, really enjoyed the way it made me feel, and appreciated the good, clean writing. This is my favourite book by the author to date, and I'm definitely looking forward to more. Highly recommended.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

3.5 stars

This book started out really strong and ended really strong. I loved Rosalind’s quirkiness and spunk. Although a Duke, Sebastian was kind and sensitive. The way he handled the arranged marriage contract was so sweet.

I got a little bored in the middle though. The chemistry was certainly there between Rosalind and Sebastian and there were some really sweet, tender moments. But for some reason it drug a bit for me. I think I wish the romance had been exploited a little more. Sebastian was just a bit too beta for me.

I did enjoy the drama at the end concerning Sebastian’s work, but again, I felt there were some missed opportunities for more romance. I’m feeling like the issue is just a case of “it’s me and not the book”. It was certainly exciting though and Sebastian proved to be a true hero. This was the first book I’ve read by Sian Ann Bessey and it certainly won’t be my last. Her writing is absolutely beautiful.

✔️Georgian Era
✔️Arranged marriage
✔️Slow burn romance

“Rosalind,” he said gently. “As difficult as it is to leave behind those you love, you are not completely alone.” He paused. “I am with you.”

I have truly enjoyed each of Sian’s books in this series, but the romantic chemistry between Rosalind and Sebastian (Can I add how much I adore their names?!) may be my favorite. So much so that I read this in one afternoon.
I loved that although they were thrown together without consent from birth, that these two weren’t enemies and didn’t have any animosity towards one another. I enjoyed watching their love build through small actions and moments which led us to the sweetest first kiss.
There was even a touch of action and danger thrown in!

With each book in these series we have been introduced to a different historical happening of the time period such as: smuggling, the plight of the young chimney sweeps, and the advances in the cider making process of the time period.
This time around Sian teaches us about the inventors of this era and their race to bring about their ideas before anyone else. As always it was well researched and she presents it in a beautiful way.

I loved every moment and recommend this book to my fellow fans of this genre!

Thanks to Covenant Communications and Netgalley for sending me a copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

"At eleven years of age, Rosalind had given marriage little more than a fleeting thought. But this much she knew: she would never marry the ill-mannered fourteen-year-old currently shouting at her from the midst of the large oak tree on the grounds of Finley Park."
Rosalind is very distraught to find that her father has indeed pledged her to marry this exact fourteen year old boy whose father is a very dear friend on Rosalind's twenty-first birthday. Over the next several years, they have nothing to do with each other. When the time comes for them to be married, she dreads it, knowing next to nothing about her future husband. However, as time passes, will she find that this unfamiliar duke to be a man she grows to love?
This is one of my favorite books this year. I loved Sian Ann Bessey and her stories are wonderful. Sebastian and Rosalind were delightful. They were both smart and brave, kind and thoughtful. It was so fun getting to see how they tried to give each other patience and grace through their initial missteps from both childhood and the first days of being married to someone they didn't know. Having to learn each other and having to learn new roles was so well written and well done. I could read this one over and over again. I would highly recommend this lovely historical romance!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

An enjoyable sweet and slow burn romance. Though this is a familiar trope of arranged marriage the story felt fresh. I thought how their interactions and daily life built their growing affection, rescpect and then love was sweet. The husband's little letters to his wife was endearing. I felt their freindship and feelings come accross as genuine. I love it when author's put in a bit of real history in a book and we get a bit more explination in the author's notes. I think author's notes at the end of the story are great. I kind of had a feeling of who the villian was of the story and what may happend with him but it was still good to read since I wasn't 100% how'd it play out or unfold. I reccommend the whole series as nice relaxing reads with good writing and story.
*thank you to net galley and covenent communications for an ARC. Opinions are definitely my own.*

“Her slightly parted lips curved upward. He ached to touch them, to kiss them. She was so close he could feel her warmth. And yet, he held back. What of her feelings? ‘Sebastian.’ Her voice was little more than a murmur. ‘You do not need a kissing gate.’”

An Unfamiliar Duke is definitely one of my favorite Sian Bessey books! I absolutely loved this arranged marriage story with two immediately likable characters whom you hope will find happiness and love. Their first meeting as adults was the perfect “meet cute.” I loved the slow burn romance, and character growth. There were also some truly suspenseful moments where I couldn’t put the book down. Warning: do not read the last half of the book right before bed. You’ll have to stay up to finish it.

The story takes place in the Georgian era at the end of the 1700’s right in the middle of the Industrial Revolution. Sebastian’s and Rosalind’s parents have arranged a marriage between them that will take place when Rosalind turns 21. Rosalind’s last memory of Sebastian was when she was 11 and he forbid her from entering his tree house. They both resent the arranged marriage and have not seen each other since. When they accidentally meet as adults, there’s an instant attraction there.

I loved the way they worked together to understand each other and find each other’s strengths. There were no great misunderstandings which was so refreshing. Any problems that arise were worked out in a very satisfying way. I enjoyed watching their love blossom. Some of my favorite scenes were their first accidental meeting, the sugared almonds, the kissing gate, Rosalind’s lists, the notes under the door, the workshop, and the tree house.

Rosalind is gregarious, kind, and enjoys counting and math. She’s surprised to find that her husband also likes math and inventing. He’s involved in a secret project to help design a grain threshing machine and has a locked workroom where he works on his various projects. Sebastian is delighted to find that his wife is not only beautiful, but intelligent. She’s a great fit for his more reserved personality. He would much rather converse with his tenants and servants than society, yet he is willing to make concessions for Rosalind. He’s also a romantic at heart and a thoughtful husband, willing to apologize where he missteps.

There’s a smarmy villain in the story who turns out to be pretty despicable. I don’t want to say too much, but he definitely causes some intense moments towards the end. The secondary characters were delightful and I especially enjoyed the interactions with the Beckett family.

This is definitely a favorite and one I would highly recommend to anyone, especially historical romance fans. It’s a clean romance with only brief moments of mild violence. Though it’s the fourth book in the series, it can definitely be read as a standalone. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.

This was a sweet read. I loved the research part of the book about the inventions and the heroine's interest in mathematics. I thought maybe a bit more about the hero's interest in inventions and helping his friend find the problem could have been explored more. It was forgotten almost for several chapters and a bit too convenient as far as timing goes. The ending with the villain seemed a little far-fetched, but otherwise it was fun to watch this unlikely couple fall in love slowly.

Thank you NetGalley!

This is why Sian Ann Bessey is an auto-buy for me.

This was lovely! Rosalind and Sebastian both, though not perfect we’re totally lovable. I enjoyed the slow-ish progress of their relationship.

A couple of my favorite things:
-the list. I loved this so much! And every time she crossed out a Bad Thing was so sweet
-their communication…. Sometimes miscommunication weighs so heavily in a romance that it’s frustrating. R and S did have some miscommunications but on the whole they handled things like kind adults. That was refreshing.

Book review: An Unfamiliar Duke by Sian Ann Bessey
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I received an eARC visa NetGally. This review is based on my own opinions.
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I enjoyed every moment of this book! I was immediately drawn in by the couples initial interaction as kids and their dislike for each other. I loved reading how their love grew so naturally. Their shared interests and mutual respect made their love story natural and believable. I adored Sebastian and his quiet thoughtfulness even though he also made a bungle of things at times. I also liked Rosalind’s strength and bravery. You definitely need to go check out this new release!
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My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Content: clean