Harper St. George wraps up her Gilded Age Heiresses series with the tale of American duchess and widow Camille, who approaches gaming club owner Jacob with a scandalous proposition. In exchange for a fake engagement to help him get investors for his club, she asks him to show her true pleasure. Which is a great idea for everyone until feelings get involved.

Camille and Jacob had great chemistry. The widow who's never truly been loved is one of my favorite tropes, and St. George writes it well.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St. George is a captivating conclusion to The Gilded Age Heiresses series, highlighting themes of empowerment and personal transformation. The story follows Camille, a rebellious duchess navigating societal expectations and her tumultuous past, who embarks on a fake engagement with Jacob Thorne, a charming rogue. Their chemistry ignites a journey filled with mutual respect and sizzling romance as they both discover the meaning of true pleasure and love. With rich historical context and a focus on the suffrage movement, the novel beautifully illustrates Camille’s evolution from a pariah to a woman claiming her desires and happiness​.

For readers who adore historical romance, feminist fiction, and stories of strong-willed women, The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St. George is a captivating tale of self-discovery, empowerment, and the thrill of a forbidden love that will sweep you off your feet and leave you cheering for the duchess's unapologetic spirit.

I adored Camille and Jacob's story!! I'm so happy that St George paired these two together!! We've seen them throughout the rest of the series and I'd fallen in love with their characters. Swoon!!

I have been hooked on this series since the first book. I’ve loved every book in this series, and The Duchess Takes a Husband is no exception. A delightful read and wonderful conclusion to the series - so happy to see Camille finally get an HEA!

Okay this is partly my fault, but I thought this was a standalone and didn’t realize it was part of a series until I had started reading :,) so in that way I felt out of the loop on some context but I LOVE historical romances and leading ladies overcoming tragedy in their lives. Now I need to go back and read the rest of the series!

Thanks so much to NetGalley for this ARC!

I was offered an ARC of this book without reading the previous titled in the series. Maybe that’s why this story felt distant and disconnected to me.

The main characters attraction was very quick with no real preamble. I couldn’t really buy their romance.

I appreciated the deeper issues at play, but overall I didn’t feel emotionally invested in this story.

Review will be posted on 1/29/24

Readers of The Gilded Age Heiresses series will remember Camille as being down on her luck. In The Duchess Takes a Husband, the fourth book in the series, things are about to turn around for her. Her husband has died and she is relieved as he was monstrous to her. She is getting her life back on track and is interested in the suffrage movement as well as helping other women, but sex has always been disappointing to her. So, she reaches out to her friend, Jacob Thorne, who is an illegitimate son of an earl and owner of the notorious Montague Club. Surely he can help her out and clear up any confusion she might have. Normally this would be right up Jacob's alley as he is propositioned a lot; however, Camille's best friend is married to Jacob's brother, so this could get a bit awkward. Once he finds out that he needs stability to enter a promising business deal, he realizes Camille would make the perfect fake fiancé. Perhaps this arrangement can help them both out? Readers of the romance genre will expect sparks to fly between Camille and Jacob despite their initial hesitancy and they surely do in The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St. George.

I remember feeling so sad for Camille in the previous novels in the series, so I am very happy to see she gets a happy ending in The Duchess Takes a Husband. She originally wants just a relationship with Jacob based on pleasure alone as she has already been married to a mean man and doesn't want to go down that road again. Jacob has his eyes on this new business venture as well as a move to Paris, so something serious doesn't suit him either. However, once the two are together, there's no doubt about it their chemistry. The Duchess Takes a Husband felt a bit steamier than the other novels in the series, but I was rooting for Camille so much so that it never felt like too much. I also appreciated the feminist undertones in this novel and Camille's focus on the suffrage movement. Readers of The Gilded Age Heiresses series won't be disappointed with this final novel and while I enjoyed the first novel in the series the most, I still loved all of the installments in this swoony romance series. Have you read The Duchess Takes a Husband? Are you a fan of Harper St. George? Do you like historical romances? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Really enjoyed this historical romance! It reminded me so much of Downton Abbey in the best way. Harper seems to know exactly what we want out of the genre.

I found this regency romance v easy to read, I raced through the pages in less than 24 hours 😂 . The allure of a Casanova with ties to an infamous club brings spice 🌶️, reminiscent of the beloved BRIDGERTON series. However, the familiarity with BRIDGERTON made it feel almost too similar. As the 4th in a series, it stands alone but delves into characters that I think you might have a better understanding of if you read the others first.

Read this if you love a story with a dash of danger, scandal, & naturally, romance, making it a worthwhile read for those enamored with charismatic protagonists in historical settings ⚜️

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
◽️ BRIDGERTON
◽️ instant connection
◽️ women’s rights & suffrage
◽️ friends to lovers

Excellent finish to a great series! St. George takes a very serious issue, abuse in intimate relationships, brings it to life, and makes it extremely relatable. The book starts with Duchess Camille, friend to the Crenshaw sisters and widow to the villainous abusive Hereford at the Montague Club, tracking down Jacob Thorne, Christian's brother. She has a proposition for him to teach her pleasure because her marriage left her scared of intimacy.

Camille's story is very sad, and I loved that she got her redemption story. I also loved how Jacob fell in love with her against his will. He tries to establish intimacy with her but is rebuffed several times because she has to stop it out of fear. It's pretty steamy when they finally get together! 5 out of 5.

The only issue I had, and others had mentioned, is I wished they had more interactions. Days went by between each attempt. When they finally declared their love, it felt a bit rushed. Jacob went from being nope to "move to Paris with me." I would have loved to see more interaction between them.

Camille was introduced to the readers of this series in the prologue of book one, having entered into a marriage her parents arranged (her money for Hereford's title). She was clearly unhappy in all the appearances she's made in the series (and was a cautionary tale for the Crenshaws and their own relationships) so I'm extremely happy to see that the author has seen fit to give Camille a chance at happiness. She's now the Dowager Duchess of Hereford, a widow as her first husband has died (good riddance). As a widow she has more freedom although she still didn't inherit the money that her father gave to her deceased husband - she has an allowance, a London residence and an estate outside of London.

Camille was a victim of domestic violence in her marriage, and didn't enjoy sex with her husband, or the few men she's tried to be with since becoming a widow. She knows and trusts Jacob Thorne through his association with her friends August and Violet , becomes a member of his gambling club (which is allowing women to be members) and she propositions him to sleep with her. At first Jacob refuses, as he knows they travel in the same circles and he doesn't want her to regret becoming involved with him. But as it turns out, he wants to open a cabaret with business partners in Paris and they want him to be settled down a.k.a. married. So he and Camille make an arrangement. She'll pretend to be his fiancee to appease his partners and in turn he will teach her all about sex. Because of her history, Jacob needs to be extremely patient and they make steps forward and back again on their way to a successful intimate partnership and eventually a real happy ending. It's a very emotional read and you can't help but feel empathy for Camille as she comes out of her shell and embraces the life she deserves. Jacob and Camille make a perfect couple and this is a beautiful ending to the series.

I enjoyed reading the book. I thought that the plot was logical and had a number of motivational factors for the leading characters Jacob and Camille to follow by. The story is a slow burn read. There are a few chapters before our romantic couple eventually cross the threshold of intimate four play. I’m not sure if the writer wanted their readers to understand where the characters are coming from as to their actions or reactions to events that has happened in the past.
This can be a writers good and bad thing when it comes to giving their readers what they crave. This one dragged the book out for me. It made me lose interest in wanting to read and share in the many feelings of romance between Jacob and Camille. The descriptive details of the characters emotions, verbal and non- verbal actions are defined very well in the book. The storyline is a great choice for these two characters who I believe could take this book by storm.
Clean up the middle of the book with the wishi washy feeling that Camille has for Jacob. Get rid of sharing the between the sheets with Jacob discussions that Camille shares with his family and friends. Keep those moments private between them, but the two can reminisce over them together privately, during those intimate discussions in the book. Yes, sure it’s fun to share cute little details with your gal pals, but the nobility do not need to know your very personal sexual details with your partner. As far characters from the book, I thought they were great.
Camille’s character could be adjusted a little. Her being described or written as this shy, embarrassed, self doubt, scared to make a move without permission Duchess. One who puts on this fake persona of a woman with power and elegance before the nobility. However when she goes to the women’s home she shakes and moves mountains for the women and children, as well as the home. I don’t know, maybe this doesn’t need to be tweaked a little.
I’m on the fence about it. Scarbury is a menace in the book and I love his character. Now I think this his character was written very well. Until next time my fellow readers. Read on! I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Harper St. George is an amazing author who just writes amazing historical romances that always end up going deeper than the summary; and this book was no different. It was a perfect amalgamation of history, romance, and adventure.

I really enjoy Harper St George and the voice she gives to her character in these historical romances. I look forward to reading more from her.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

I loved this book! I didn't read the other books in this series, so I was nervous that I would be lost. But it felt like a stand alone and I no problems getting sucked into this world!

American heiress, Camille, now the dowager of Duchess of Hereford, is finally free from an ill-suited match brokered by her parents. The first thing on Camille's list: figuring out to get pleasure in bed with the help of the handsome Jacob Thorne, the illegitimate heir son of an earl and the co-owner of London's infamous Montague Club. But much to Camille's surprise, Jacob turns down her bold offer. But with the investment in his new club at risk, Jacob asks Camille to pose as his fiancée. Camille agrees but only if Jacob agrees to help her with her lesson requests.

I really enjoyed Camille and Jacob's love story. It was emotional and touched on trauma that both of them experienced. It was so satisfying when they both got the HEA they deserved.

Now I want to go back and read the first three books in the series!

CW: domestic violence and forced marriage (in the past) and abusive/toxic parents

Thank you to NetGalley and the Berkley Romance for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Despite having married well, Camille, the Duchess of Hereford, has never been allowed to forget that high society does not accept her. Sure, the wealthy widow is invited to events thanks to her title, but she’s never allowed to forget her place as an American upstart. Now free from her cruel, overbearing husband, Camille begins to test her wings and even develops an interest in the suffrage movement, making her even more scandalous. When she meets Jacob Thorne, the co-owner of London’s infamous Montague Club, Camille begins to revel even more in her newfound rebellion as he seems to be the key to facing a fear she’s kept hidden from everyone.

Jacob is accustomed to club members approaching him with all sorts of deals, but not ones as beautiful as Camille and certainly not with proposals as sweet as they are shocking. He has ambitions of buying his own club, without help from his father’s influence, but that means courting investors who demand respectability, something Camille can offer given her title. A fake engagement ensues, but Camille’s one condition to agreeing is that Jacob teach her about true pleasure in the bedroom.

Jacob finds himself unable to resist such terms, but things between him and Camille soon delve far deeper than anticipated.

I wound up enjoying this more than I even expected to. I loved how tender and gentle Jacob was with Camille. This made their relationship special given how gruff and jaded he is in other scenes. Camille was an intriguing combination of candor and guardedness that kept me invested in the story and clearly also enthralled Jacob. I loved how clear these two were with each other, using open communication and not playing games. I loved seeing Camille gain confidence and find herself through the freedom and safety Jacob gave her. I do wish Jacob’s epiphany of his feelings hadn’t felt quite so abrupt, but I do think that fit here and I really did enjoy their story.

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

this book was such a great read! i really loved reading about camille’s journey with women’s suffrage and i really liked how both characters were developing and solving their own issues. however, i do wish that we got to see more of the couple together though. i also felt like at some points the book felt very dragged on. overall, i think this book was great but could use some better pacing!

The mirror scene... thank you Harper St. George, thank you.

There is a slow burn, slightly slower than I expected but the payoff is worth it. I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected.

I can't say that this book is perfect, due to the pacing and a few other things. But it does fit well into the genre and give a lot of the feelings that romance is expected to give.

3.5 Stars — So apparently I read a digital arc of this on my Kindle in March. I completely forgot and listened to the audiobook. I was thinking the story felt very familiar! I decided to continue the audiobook. I enjoyed the story even though I was familiar with a lot of parts. I don’t think this brings something new to the table but it was a solid steamy historical romance. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series!