Alexandra Grantham steals from the rich to provide for the local farm workers in the district. She also grows fruit and vegetables for them in the hothouses at Grantham Place. When Mr. Robert Chanderly, her new neighbour, arrives in the district, Alexandra holds him up at gunpoint in his coach. After he disarms her, Alexandra narrowly escapes, racing away to safety. Alexandra wishes to remain at Grantham Place with her brother, Sir John, as he suffers from chronic ill health. But when her grandmother, Lady Longmore, arrives at Grantham Place, she makes it clear that she expects her granddaughter to travel back to London with her. A hasty departure seems most judicious when men from Bow Street descend on the area to investigate her crimes. Then Lady Longmore encounters Mr. Chanderly, she reveals that he is, in fact, the Duke of Stanford. Will he ruin her?
This is the first book I’ve read by the author & it won't be the last, a very well written romance with strong characters & a well paced story. I loved both Robert & Alexandra both have secrets, which are uncovered pretty quickly. I loved the chemistry between them, their banter was delicious & he was so protective. I was drawn in from the beginning & finished it a few hours later with a smile on my face. An engrossing, captivating read
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Alexandra Grantham feels a need to help the poor in the countryside, even at the risk of her life.

Our heroine is an intelligent young lady who is very knowledgeable about horticulture in particular.

Robert Chanderly recently inherited a struggling estate. Our hero is very surprised to be taken to task so fiercely by a young woman. Nobody would normally dare to speak to him like that.

This historical romance is amusing and emotional with a little danger. All the characters are so interesting including the horrible ones. We soon see appearances are often deceiving, and sometimes we all get things wrong.

Great fun . I loved it.

Alexandra feels responsible for the poor in her area - enough so that she not only grows them food, but steals from the local landowners for them in the guise of a highwayman. But when a newcomer to the area penetrates her disguise almost instantly, she begins to see the wisdom of acquiescing to her grandmother's wishes that she go to London for the season. Unfortunately, she then discovers that this newcomer is none other than Robert, Duke of Stanford, leader of the ton - in a position to not only destroy her season but deliver her up to justice. Robert is intrigued by this young woman who is so different from any other he's known, and decides to bring her into fashion. But such popularity makes powerful enemies, and she has a deadly secret. Can Robert both protect her from those who threaten and convince Alexandra that he's in earnest in caring for her?

This may be my favourite book by the author so far. Some parts definitely have a very Heyer-esque flavour, but the plot is quite different (though still clean). I love the way that Robert has to work to convince Alexandra he's serious - a warning to be careful what sort of reputation you acquire, I guess! I also appreciate the way that she's he's willing to actually listen to her and learn from her in the areas where she's knowledgeable. I did find the idea that visiting someone else's tenants was trespassing somewhat odd - I don't know whether it's strictly true, but surely there can be no problem with having and visiting friends? (That was actually something that slightly bothered me about Alexandra's charity work - she wants to look after them but doesn't seem to care about them as individuals.) Nevertheless, I appreciated the way that both Alexandra and Robert cared about the welfare of those around them - even if they had to learn the couldn't be responsible for everyone. A good read - 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.

Their first meeting was unusual but that didn’t stop them from opening each other’s eyes to the realities of the world and in the process they fell in love. Even when jealousy attempts to besmirch reputations, envy and greediness give rise to sinister plots. Lovely tale of an amazing woman with beauty, caring and intelligence and the man who would risk all for her.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and leaving my review voluntarily.

I loved this book! It was such a joy to read! Alexandra Grantham cares a lot about the farmers who are impoverished due to the lack of interest for their well-being by the rich landlords. So she becomes a kind of Robin Hood and steals their money, disguised as a highwayman. The book begins with her trying to Robert Chanderly, he is unimpressed and she narrowly escapes. This Robert turns out to be not only her neighbor but also the duke of Stanford! And you as a reader know you started a good book. When you read the title ‘the duke and the gardener’ you might expect an unpretentious, sweet, maybe timid girl, but Alexandra is anything but! I really enjoyed the story because Alexandra is fierce, opinionated and not afraid to say what she thinks and show her intelligence when she speaks up. Robert is a smart man, very powerful, but not too proud to adjust things when he is informed of mismanagement on his estate, for example. The story has a good pace, has lots of interesting characters and a lot goes on, but not too much. Every scene is in the book to mean something, to provide color to the story. Not once did I feel bored or did I want the story to hurry up or skip pages. The dialogues are witty, Alex often speaks her mind and I likes that going to London wasn’t always smooth sailing. Books often paint a picture of the perfect London season with lots of pretty dresses, balls and people, but this book also shows that it could be quite challenging to manoeuvre through the social rules and restrictions of that time. The book also shows the seriousness of poverty in that time, without getting too heavy about it. It is still a fun read and it made me laugh out loud several times.
A minor comment I have is that I think the confrontation between Robert and ‘the accuser’ (I won’t spoil anything) could’ve been solved with Robert (as the powerful duke he is) flat out denying any accusation or maintaining the statement that his tiger was behind it for fun, and nobody would have believed otherwise. So there wouldn’t have been a need to act differently, and in the end the accuser was still ordered out of the country. But I guess this was more spectacular for the readers, and set the scene for Alexandra to speak out…
The secondary characters are fun; I liked Alex’s grandmother a lot, and the theatrics of her aunt were hilarious. And last but not least: It is SO refreshing to read a book that can carry it’s weight with just a good story, a marvelous story, and doesn’t need to depend on sex scenes to peak your interest. The story itself is interesting enough and I applaud Alissa Baxter for that! I can highly recommend it, it is absolutely worth it and I will purchase this book for myself when it is published. I rate it a solid 5 stars!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and I am grateful for this opportunity. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Alexandra Grantham loves to garden, but she also cares deeply about the poor. She cares so much she becomes a Robin Hood to them. She disguises herself as a highway man and steals from the rich and gives to the poor. All is well until she meets Mr Robert Chanderly. Robert does not allow himself to be robbed by her. She just barely escapes him and later he meets her again but as her lady self. He does not recognize her. They don’t get along too well at first. It is then said that Bow Street is coming to find the highwayman and Alexandra is instantly terrified she will be caught. It is then that Robert notices something very familiar about Alexandra. Robert is also hiding something of his own, he is really the Duke of Stanford. Once they arrive in London, for Alexandra’s season, Robert takes her under his wing. And he agrees to keep her secret.

This was a fun read. I liked the Lady Robin Hood part and the Duke was really fun. He had some pretty good insults at Alexandra. I really liked how Robert and Alexandra’s relationship transformed into a romantic one. Robert is a great protector and very generous but not always the perfect gentleman, he can be a little roguish at times but that’s what makes him a great character. I love Alexandra’s character she stands up for the poor but also her friends. I also liked the siblings characters. Overall I really enjoyed this story and I recommend it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

Content: Mild Swearing

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author and netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

I am just going to say do yourself as a reader a favor, block out a couple of hours and truly settle down with this great book.