This was the first book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it. I liked the romance between the two main characters and felt there was a good amount of tension built before the spicy scenes. But I unfortunately found the two main characters on the more boring side for the first quarter to half of the book, compared to everyone else which kept this book from truly being a standout historical romance. As the book went on though I found them to be much more entertaining on their own and not just when interacting with the side characters. The Duke’s family was hilarious and so was Felicity. I want books about Isabella finding love and Felicity finding love because those two were truly chaotic in the best way.

Overall this was a fun historical romance with a good amount of spice and humor throughout it.

I enjoyed James and Viola's story. Viola has been i n love with the Duke of Huntington for 10 years but she knows that being a governess and the secret she keeps from even her employers that she can only dream of ever becoming his wife. But a mischievous 14 year old whom is here charge will go to all lengths to insure her Governess finds her happy ever after and James will be all in on the plot to I sure Viola is his.

This was a fun read with a raven,, a quirky sister and Felicity you never know wht the will get up to for love.

This was a cute lighthearted romance, and I believe it's my first Lydia Drake that I've read.

The book follows James, Duke of Huntington, and Viola, who works as a governess to the ward of James' best friend. The two have known each other for years, but only superficially since they operate in very different classes from each other, but once Viola and her charge, Felicity, are forced to take refuge at James' family's estate, the two begin to fall for each other. Viola's feelings for the duke have been longstanding since the moment they met but it's only after Viola is staying with him that James starts to see her for who she is. I liked their romance, they were an easy pair that gelled very well with each other. I'm not as big of a fan of the plot mechanics of Felicity's far-fetched plot to get the two together. It helped matters that James comes to his realizations on his own and not from Felicity's overt planning, but it was still a bit of a stretch to see the chess moves that Felicity was working with.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Governess and The Duke by Lydia Drake is such a wonderful read. This is my second book from Lydia Drake and I know the story will be extraordinary.

This book have a high sexual tension, explicit hot spicy scenes, sense of humour, interesting characters, family conflict, suspense, angst, heart breaking moments and tears. The attraction between Viola and Hunt runs deeper than they knows. However, the different status between a governess and a duke make Viola keeps her feelings to herself.

I'll definitely be waiting for more books from Lydia Drake and I'm looking forward to read the next story.

I would like to thank netgalley and Entangled Publishing for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyable.

I read this book as a standalone and got captivated immediately by it. I can’t remember the last time a book made me laugh and cry (a little, if I must be honest) which could only be for two reasons alone. One, that I was in a moment in my life that this story got to me so deeply or because it was a very good story and the characters engaging. This made me realized that when you are able to review a book just from a critical objective point of view is because it was not really the type of book you needed at the moment you read it.

“The Governess and the Duke” is the story of Viola Winslow and her platonic love for over ten years, James, the Duke of Huntington. In this story is Viola’s charge, Felicity, who plots to give her beloved governess the type of live she deserves with the men she deserves. She ends up involving other family members from the Duke’s side to aid her in her plan. Will Felicity be able to be successfully at the end? I guess you need to read it to find out because even if I enjoy a spoiler from time to time, I need to respect the fact that others may not.

My personal opinion is that I LOVE this story and all the characters, except Viola’s father but even the grandmother who could be as acerbic as a person can be was funny sometimes. I can’t wait to read Felicity’s story! not pressure to the author but I expect to be dazzled and overflowed with tears of laughter.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving the gift of being able to discover this story.

Thank you Netgalley, Entangled Publishing, and author Lydia Drake for providing an ARC in exchange for a review! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars

The Governess and the Duke is the third title in the Renegade Dukes series. In this instalment, we meet Miss Viola Winslow, a governess who is very much aware of her place in society, and the Duke of Huntington, who is only now paying attention to the governess, even though they have known each other for ten years.

This was a quick and extremely enjoyable read! The “governess-master” romance is one of my favourite and the secondary characters were a superb comic-relief, no wonder I devoured it in one sitting. I highly appreciate the absence of the miscommunication trope, and it was really gratifying seeing them talk and discuss their feelings. Nonetheless, the story fell a bit flat at times, almost one-dimensional. I would’ve loved to know more about the Duke as a person and read in more depth about Viola and the Duke’s relationship.

I would definitely reach out for more Lydia Drake in the future and I will read the rest of the Renegade Dukes series!

5 stars

I enjoyed this book. It had humour and interesting secondary characters. In some places almost laugh out loud. Often in stories the heroine believes she's not the same level as the hero only to be found to be someone else's child and actually the same level, the author didn't use this trope and it was a much more realistic and grown up attitude. I like this series so recommend it.

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

Content Warnings: sexual content, classism, toxic relationships, childhood trauma, and loss of a parent.
Mention of: child abuse, childbirth death, and pregnancy.

Ahh, I am so excited I got to read this early!

Ever since I read "Cinderella and the Duke" I was desperate to know more about both Viola and Huntington...and Lydia made it worth the wait 🥰

Viola has had feelings for Huntington from the moment she met him. Working for his bff means for the last 10 years she's watched and pined...believing there's no way he'll ever see her let alone consider her for marriage.

Huntington met Viola, the quiet governess, years ago. Viola always seemed so reserved to him and he wondered what she was like when she wasn't attempting to be so proper. Now, still licking his wounds, in the countryside fate forces them to spend time together. The more time Huntington spends with Viola the more he gets little peeks of the fire inside her...and like a moth to a flame...all he wants is to see more.

Vibes/tropes:
Parent Trap
She falls first but he falls harder
He never notices her...until he does

Takes the reader on a page-turning thrill ride. Buckle up and hang on! A story that keeps you glued to it no matter what time of day or night it is.

Although I'm usually not a fan of perfect characters, where the main couple are so understanding and loving, and angel-like, this one was written really well.
The sequence of their relationship was well written; For Viola, her infatuation with the duke stemmed from her traumatic upbringing and James's kind nature and good looks. For James, he liked how Viola was a breath of fresh air in the midst of bland debutantes. After getting to know each other, they started to truly fall for in love.
Their love wasn't sickly sweet, which I really loved, instead, their love story was super mature and it fit well with their age. It was exactly how you would envision a relationship between two people in their thirties, especially in the that era.
The angst in the end was great, it was one of the rare times where the problem wasn't just a miscommunication thing, and actually a real, valid problem.
Overall, I really loved it.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

I had been eagerly awaiting the release of "Governess and the Duke" by Lydia Drake, especially given the delightful experience I had with the previous two books in the series. Unfortunately, this latest installment left me feeling somewhat disappointed.

The story, centered on Governess Miss Viola Winslow's unrequited love for the Duke of Huntington, had the potential for a charming and engaging romance. However, the narrative ended up being somewhat weighed down by an excessive focus on class tension and the back-and-forth exploration of Viola's insecurities. It felt like the author was treading familiar ground without adding significant depth to the character's internal struggles.

While the premise was promising, the plot seemed to be dominated by Viola's inner turmoil and societal constraints, which took away from the potential chemistry between the characters. It felt like the story was somewhat one-dimensional, with not enough exploration of the Duke of Huntington's character or his motivations.

Despite my disappointment with this particular book, I still look forward to future works by Lydia Drake. I believe in the author's ability to craft engaging romances, as demonstrated in her previous novels. "Governess and the Duke" may not have lived up to my expectations, but it won't deter me from giving her future books a chance. Perhaps the next one will recapture the magic of the earlier works in the series.

I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

There’s humor to Viola and she’s instantly likable. It was fun to see her get to know Hunt rather than just pine for him from afar. The sexual tension was good but Hunt seemed to be especially attracted to Viola when she was angry. There was a section where the POV randomly changed to Felicity to explain a new plot point, which I found unnecessary and weak. Don’t expect regency period accuracy. This is low-angst without much miscommunication even with the typical third act breakup.

Goodreads calls this book 2 but it’s actually book 3. I received an arc from NetGalley

Another enjoyable read from Lydia Drake. Definitely an author I’ll keep an eye out for new books. This says this is the 2nd book, but I think it’s the third. There were some things that seemed missing because I didn’t realize there was another book, but under a different subtitle than the Renegade Dukes. Anyhow, I still liked this one. Viola & Hunt were good together, if not a little insta lovey (ten years in the making). However, my favorite scenes were with the two teenage girls & their exploits. Those made me chuckle.