Genre: historical romance
London, 1824

Loretta Linfield is the daughter of a baron, and this is the season where she needs to find a husband. The current leading prospect is Arthur Sterlington, Duke of Colchester. Loretta struggles knowing her duty is to marry well and be a proper wife, but she isn't sure why she's dissatisfied until she becomes friends with the duke's sister Charlotte. Charlotte wears trousers and climbs trees when no one is looking and paints things unbecoming of a gentlewoman.

I had mixed feelings reading The Duke's Sister and I. I really liked Charlotte as a character. She's saucy and passionate, and knows her way around women. She coaxes Loretta to expect more from romance. Loretta is a familiar character to readers of historical romance: she's not quite a wallflower, but she's trying her best to carve out her own place in society.

That said, the pacing was difficult for me, and I have a very difficult time reading a historical where the primary conflict for one of the main characters is that she's not sure why she's resisting marriage (especially when it wasn't clear to me that she was holding out for a grand love). Resisting marriage is not an uncommon plot device, and it saddens me when that's front and center for a queer historical, because there are so many writers who have shown us it doesn't have to be. Avoiding spoilers, I did feel as though the marriage plot remained unresolved.

I look forward to seeing what else Emma-Claire Sunday writes next, because there's a lot of potential in her writing. This feels like a solid debut with good ideas. We need more sapphic historicals and I hope Sunday can continue to deliver!

I’m sure others will enjoy this book—it’s beautifully written—but the early chapters were too slow-paced and sad for me. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

This was a really cute story!! I enjoyed the slow romantic buildup between Loretta and Charlotte. I think they were perfect for each other, although I also really liked Charlotte's brother, Arthur. I thought there'd be more conflict or discussion about everything between Charlotte and Loretta and Arthur but they were never in a room together after the truth was revealed. I enjoyed Nathaniel and Charlotte's painting venture too. I didn't think Nathaniel would be a big part of the story when he showed up and I actually thought he was a bit of a dick when he was introduced. I liked being able to see him away from societies eyes. The scandal of the portrait was very surprised too. I didn't expect it at all but I knew there had to be some sort of scandal (there always are in these stories) but I thought it would have something to do with Charlotte and Loretta being found out. I'm glad it didn't end up being that though. If they'd been outed it would have made the story a bit depressing honestly.

Ah, I loved this so much! Historical romances have always been my go-to subgenre, and Harlequin Historicals in particular have a lifelong stranglehold on my heart. So seeing them begin to add queer narratives to the actual category romance line gives me so much joy. And THE DUKE'S SISTER AND I was perfect, it was everything I love about Harlequin Historicals: heart, chemistry, shenanigans and a sufficient amount of drama. Just delightful. I can't wait to see what Emma-Claire Sunday is working on next! I'm definitely a fan.

3.5 rounded up

Loretta, a Baron’s daughter desperate to avoid the loneliness her parents marriage has become, is being courted by a duke. But, she’s falling in love with his rebellious, artistic, and experienced sister.

The first half of this book really worked for me. The prose, imagery, meet cute, adventure, and secrecy all combined into an extremely quotable story:

“The woman before her stood nonchalant and contrapposto, in that pose made famous by the Grecian sculptors of old—with all her weight shifted to one leg, a hand on her protruding hip, in defiance of all things ladylike.”

“‘Tell me something no one knows.’ ‘All right…’ Loretta raised her chin, rising to the challenge. ‘I dislike embroidery.’ ‘That’s it?’ Charlotte giggled. ‘You dislike embroidery?’ ‘I hate it, actually.’ Loretta crossed her arms. ‘I hate the way the needle slips and stabs my fingers. And I hate the way it isn’t taken seriously, like other artforms. How it’s never framed and hung in museums because it’s women’s work, and I hate how that makes me not take it seriously.’”

There is a party scene at about 30% that felt cinematic. It was a joy to read.

Unfortunately the second half of the story was just too busy and rushed. So many conflicts with shockingly quick resolutions, the gentle and rich discovery of the first half basically disappears. Plus some earlier plot points just fade away.

I read an eARC and editing, specifically formatting, was also a problem, and very distracting. I hope the final version is cleaned up.

Nevertheless, I am very optimistic for Sunday’s next book.

This debut was uneven at times, but lush and emotional with so much potential, that I'm excited to read more from this author. Above all, this was beautifully queer, with some of the most evocative scenes of queer joy and celebration and resistance that I've seen in historical romance (the Fourth Tier?!). The tension between our main characters was so thick at the start, and I reveled in how they circle and taunt and resent each other, each wounded and wounding. The fall into longing makes sense for these characters, and there is a moment of stunning clarity for our sheltered and naive FMC that felt like a gut punch:

"You couldn't want something you'd never really seen. You could dream about it, wish for it, hope that it might come. But to really want it - well, that was something else entirely. And now that Loretta had seen it, every bone in her body trembled with want."

And this imagery?!

"This was how Loretta felt upon reading Charlotte's letter. Her limbs, her organs, her beating heart were not strung with the adrenaline of movement, but of the moment just before. She was coiled and vibrating - like a hungry snake, but without the venom."

Sunday's writing is so visceral that the longing feels physically painful, and I couldn't get enough of it.

Where this didn't succeed as fully for me is in plot execution. We drifted through a few moments that weren't fully explained, and then when we revisited them, it wasn't clear what actually happened and when (I don't mind fade-to-black intimacy, but I would swear certain "first times" happened twice?), and we really needed more time to fully develop the third act conflict and its resolution. This is under 275 pages (at least in my copy), and it could have benefitted from being fleshed out more. The relationship became rushed in the end, and it made the HEA feel slap-dash, when the beginning held so much promise.

Also, I was so disappointed by the editing, and I'm really hoping a lot of this is corrected before final publication. The formatting of the e-arc was so bad that it was truly difficult to read and understand, because line and paragraph breaks were off, chapters started mid-page, etc. There were moments we switched POV and it took me a paragraph to realize, because the break was missing entirely.

All that said, I will absolutely read Sunday's next book, because I am so optimistic for her future stories and can't wait to return to the world her prose spins up.

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TL;DR: A slow but beautiful little love story, well worth the read & pickup.
Source: Thank you to the publisher for an ARC via Netgalley! I also pre-ordered a physical edition I enjoyed this so much.

Plot: Loretta is being courted by Charlotte’s brother and she discovers more about herself than she anticipated.
Characters: Loretta seems to be the weaker of our two heroines but I did enjoy both of them! Charlotte was very fun to read about.
Setting: Your classic regency setting. We stayed mostly in the homes of our heroines, but I enjoyed it nevertheless.
Romance: Super slow and sweet. It’s not overly spicy at all if you’re here for that, but if you’re here for the romance itself it’s a good one.

Thoughts:

What a lovely little romance this was. Loretta is a bit lost, simply trying to be perfect and marry correctly. Meanwhile Charlotte is living her life, painting and grieving and wooing all the ladies of the ton. Charlotte’s brother begins to court Loretta and the two meet, and you can guess the rest.

This one falls into that trap a lot of queer regency romances have to fight with in that it wrestles with believability. Emma-Claire Sunday does a great job with setting these characters up with just the right amount of acceptance that can lead to an HEA. I really enjoyed how the story progressed, as slow a burn as it felt in 270 pages. I also really liked how the third act ‘conflict’ was handled. It was mostly an external one and our ladies were able to trust and love no matter the odds.

I really liked this, I truly did. So much so I pre-ordered a copy. If it sounds like something you’ll be into I really recommend it. It’s short, beautifully written, and I’d even say a bit cozy!

4 out of 5 True to Life Paintings

I did however, really enjoy that initial misunderstanding/small conflict where Loretta felt mocked for not being smart or knowledgeable enough as opposed to Charlotte's brash, open attitude. It's a type of conflict that we don't get often but to my experience is very realsitic and not often discussed. It's even more relevant in this patriarchal 19th century setting, where Loretta navigates the expectation of being a proper lady which requires erasing yourself and when confronted with the sister of a duke, someone who already has more power than her and who looks like she's taunting her or bragging, it must really hit a nerve. It was to me, one of the most compelling part of this story, despite its other shortcomings.

Sapphic Regency era romance has gotta be one of my absolute favorite niche sub-genres, and this book did not disappoint. The chemistry between the characters, the high stakes of the novel, everything came together so incredibly to make one of the best historical romances I've ever read!

Loretta Linfield has spent her life trying to be the perfect woman in society. When her dad sets his sights on the Duke of Colchester, she knows that will likely be her future husband. It’s the perfectly boring and safe life she was raised to embrace, which is why her lack of interest in that life has left her head spinning. However, meeting her potential sister-in-law, Charlotte Sterlington, has been the one shining light in her life. Loretta quickly finds herself sharing secret kisses with Charlotte that has ignited a fire she didn’t know existed. However it’s only a matter of time before she is faced with a marriage proposal from the wrong Sterlington…

I was excited to start this book because it was giving me serious sapphic "Bridgerton" vibes before I even read the first page. I’m excited to share that the book did not disappoint! We follow Loretta and Charlotte through their rotating perspectives. They have very different personalities, which leads them to clash early into Loretta and Arthur’s courtship. Once Loretta learns that Charlotte is trying to impress her rather than embarrass her, all bets are off.

The book has a great cast of characters, so I loved getting to learn more about many of them. There are a few characters who seemed on the edge of having a larger role than they ultimately had, but I was happy with the overall story by the time I made it to the end. I do wish we saw or learned more about a few characters, but it also makes sense that they didn’t have larger roles. I also really loved how we got to see Charlotte and Arthur’s relationship shift and grow as the story continued. I love strong sibling relationships in fiction, so it was wonderful to see them go from being at odds to slowly becoming friends as the story continued.

All in all, this was a really enjoyable read. There’s a lot of chemistry between Loretta and Charlotte, but their romance is a little on the slow side. Personally, I didn’t have a problem with that. I enjoyed watching them get to know each other as well as watching Loretta learn that there’s so much more than meets the eye. I don’t know if this is a stand alone or the first book to a series yet, but I would love it if it turns into a series. It would be great to see some of the characters get their own stories, so I’ll be back if a second book comes out in the future.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

In early 19th century London, Loretta knows she needs to marry yet she's unimpressed with every suitor who courts her. When she is introduced to a duke, her father is determined that she should wed him. Charlotte, the duke's sister, is unmarried and refuses to conform to societal expectations much to her brother's consternation. After a fraught set of interactions, Loretta and Charlotte grow closer and Loretta is introduced to an underground gay scene in the basement of a theater. But what kind of future can two women have together?

This is a lovely Sapphic Regency romance, mostly well written and well plotted. Like many books, it really took off in the final third. I'm going with 4 stars but I do recommend it for those who like historic romance.

Went into this expecting something silly and light, but I was very pleased to find that this romance was extremely well written, smart and enjoyable. Loretta is on the marriage market to finally find a husband and Charlotte is the woman that sheds light on the fact that a husband might not be what Loretta wants, while also being the winning suitors sister! I really enjoyed the way in which the story feels probable and that the secret societies/parties could have be possible. I liked the way in which Charlotte's art and quest to be independent is used as a plot device to bring the two girls together in the third act. The romance was not too steamy and it felt like there was a purpose for each act and that it wasn't included just because it is a romance book. As someone who does not often pick up a romance novel, I was pleasantly surprised while reading The Duke's Sister and I.
My favourite part of this novel is the full circle moment when Charlotte is hiding behind the bushes in the last chapter and Loretta comments from behind her, just as in the first chapter with the roles reversed.
I would read another book by Emma-Claire Sunday.

This, folks, is why I read category romance! It never fails to impress me how a talented author can create something so unique within the parameters of "220 pages, handful of tropes, third-act breakup, GO," and Emma-Claire Sunday has done something really special with The Duke's Sister and I. Both Charlotte and Loretta are incredibly charming, lovable protagonists, and I particularly enjoyed the family (both origin and found) dynamics for both women. I'll definitely be suggesting this for purchase at the library, and it would make a fabulous A Bookish Affair pick. I'll be following the author's career with interest from here on out!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

This was a wonderful, emotionally complex, and heartwarming book. I loved that the two main characters had different relationships with their sexuality — Charlotte being certain and experienced and Loretta only discovering hers. The emotional growth of both characters was so well done and made their relationship all the more earned and believable. I also loved that the book explored what queer communities may have looked like in that period in a way that was optimistic yet believable.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

The Duke's Sister and I follows Loretta, a young woman in regency England who must marry and Charlotte, the sister of the duke Loretta is interested in.

After the first few chapters, I got really invested in the story and Charlotte and Loretta's romance. I also liked the introduction to the underground queer community of the time as I didn't know anything about it before and that all kept me interested to read more.

However, the book was and felt very short, which lead to the relationship feeling a little rushed and it was hard to get a full sense of all of the central characters. But, I enjoyed the romance enough to stay engaged the whole time.

Thank you Harlequin and NetGalley again for the chance to read this early.

This was great! This was a relatively short and quick read, with a lot packed into its pages. I enjoyed the romance and I think it did a good job with the historical setting. Great writing, characters, plotline, pacing. My only real complaint is that I wish it had been longer and that the existing content had been further developed. As complaints go this is more of a backdoor-compliment, because it means that what was on the page was great! This novel won’t be making it onto my favorite list, but it was thoroughly enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the genre. This one is a low 5-stars.

Highlights:
-There is a lot packed into this novel. There is romance, critiques of society and the place of women, secret identities, dealing with societal expectations, dealing with family expectations, secret subcultures and societies, toaster-oven awakenings, characters dealing with grief, high society scandals, etc. and etc. This novel was not particularly long, but the author wove a lot of things together!
-My favorite part of this novel was the beginning (surprisingly). I liked the way the protagonists clashed and the way that Charolette was suspicious and antagonistic (somewhat unintentionally) in the beginning. It was, simply, a lot of fun.
-The underground queer community was addressed in a way that felt realistic. I have zero idea if it actually IS realistic as I haven’t researched the topic, but it felt that way. Queer people were not ignored in this story, but they also didn’t have an unrealistically easy time either. The depiction was heartbreaking but full of hope and deeply touching.
-I liked the protagonists. Loretta was an interesting character that I haven’t quite seen before; she was relatively simple in some ways yet very complex under the surface. She didn’t know what she wanted, or even that she did want, and the reader got to go on that journey of discovery along with her. I wish we had gotten to see more of it, in more detail. Her well-read yet naive character resulted in some very entertaining situations (once again, I wish there had been more!).

Criticisms:
-The downside of packing so much into a novel of this length, is that some elements were not as developed as they could have been, particularly the romance. The characters could have also had a bit more development, or simply more time to exist on the page and display the characterization that they were given. It was still good, but I feel like the author could have done more on this point (and some others as well, the novel could have easily been longer).
-I was confused a few times throughout this story. Not in any way that was significant enough to ruin the story, but enough that it pulled me out of the flow of reading a little bit a few times. Particularly, there were a few points where I wasn’t sure “how far” their “activities” had gone, as it seemed implied that something had happened and then later on it was said that it happened for the first time. The timeline also confused me a little bit a few times, which doesn’t normally happen to me, but I’m not confident if the issue was the novel or my reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, all my thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Books for providing me with this arc, in exchange for my honest review.
As a sapphic historic lover and my newfound interests for TV shows like Bridgerton and The Buccaneers, I was excited to start reading this book, after seeing the title, cover and blurp.
And it's fair to say it didn't disappoint.
I genuinely liked both main characters and loved the whole clubs "Fourth Tier" storyline. It's rare for. Sapphic historic romance to get a happy ending so I am really pleased with the ending the author provided us with.

This is the first regency era sapphic novel I’ve read that has everything I wanted: angst, longing, yearning, spice, connection, supportive family, and A HAPPY ENDING!!!!!!!!
Oh my goodness, what a sweet, dreamy, exquisite love story. I adore Charlotte and Loretta sooo much. I adore Charlotte’s paintings and her belief about painting women and seeing them…about existing FOR THEMSELVES and not for men. I adore Loretta’s wanting, her realizing how natural her love is, how good they are, how beautiful it all is. I could read this multiple times over and that is something I NEVER say.
Thank you for the ARC of this book. :)

While I really like the premise of this book, it was;t a favorite of mine mainly because I found it a bit slow and I didn't really connect with any of the characters.

I am grateful to have received an arc e-book copy of ‘The Duke’s Sister and I’ via NetGalley and Harlequin Books in exchange for an honest review and freshly coming off my Bridgerton obsession, this sapphic historical romance was exactly my cup of tea! The romance of the Pirate King (Charlotte) and the Fairy Queen (Loretta) had me swooning in every chapter and I thoroughly enjoyed the queer historical aspects such as the clubs like the ‘Fourth Tier’. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and was a delight to read!