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The Wrong Duchess

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“I cannot marry a man I do not love, Your Grace.”

Insolent, newly rich ladies are not Duke Christopher’s type. But, attending his new neighbors’ dinner party, he cannot take his eyes off of their daughter. A lady just as beautiful and defiant as she is dangerous…

Bridget’s family may be pressuring, demanding social climbers, but she will not tolerate anyone insulting them. Not even a Duke, however handsome and brooding he is! Risking everything, she follows him to the garden, to give him a piece of her mind…

…and they get caught. This scandal is everything her family wanted and the last thing she ever wished for. Because now, she will have to marry the duke. A man she cannot love and who cannot trust her…

*If you like powerful Dukes, loving Duchesses and a marvelous depiction of the majestic Regency and Victorian era, then The Wrong Duchess is the novel for you.

An enchanting regency romance of 80,000 words (around 400 pages), written by Emma Linfield and published by Cobalt Fairy.

No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a sweet happily ever after.

Pick up "The Wrong Duchess" today to discover Emma's amazing new story!

455 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 22, 2023

207 people are currently reading
28 people want to read

About the author

Emma Linfield

112 books82 followers
Emma Linfield has always been passionate about historical romances. Ever fascinated with the world of Regency England and being utmost inspired by Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s work, she decided she wanted to write her own stories. Stories of love and tradition being mixed in the most appealing way for every hopeless romantic, much like herself.

Born and raised in Southern California, Emma Linfield has a degree in Creative Writing and English Literature, and she has been working as a freelance writer for the past 10 years. When she isn’t writing, Emma loves spending her time with her own prince charming and two beautiful children, all the while enjoying the famous Californian sun and ocean.

So, hop on to this exciting journey of Dukes, Earls and true love with Emma and find pleasure in the old fashioned world of Regency - an Era of pure romance, elegance and high fashion!

(Source: Official Website)

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5 stars
184 (45%)
4 stars
95 (23%)
3 stars
68 (16%)
2 stars
41 (10%)
1 star
17 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
79 reviews2 followers
September 13, 2023
research properly, please.

I’m surprised that the author has clearly not done proper research into, at the very least, titles, and how people are addressed. There’s not a lot of point in writing a historical novel if details are so wrong. Why bother?
Profile Image for Pauline.
611 reviews
August 27, 2023
The Wrong Duchess

The wrong Duchess was a very drawn out third person story.That I had trouble reading,the story only got good at the end of the story.And I would never hope to read another like it again.
520 reviews3 followers
August 26, 2023
A clean story. We have family which has just received a title and moved to a London house in a wealthy area and are next door to a Duke. The duke meets Bridget the neighbours daughter and they clash. Her brother is adamant she must marry a wealthy higher ranked man to help the family, she is not happy at this. The duke and Bridget are seen in what is deemed to be a compromising situation, eventually marry and then there is confusion manipulation etc.
I found the duke to a painful character, very supercilious and condescending to people. To be honest I do not think he would have had time for Bridget or her family. Bridget was not too bad just very fiery. It is not made clear how Bridget knew Violet, and indeed it takes a while before we even know her status. I cannot understand why the duke did not simply explain early on why he hated her, that I am sure would have stopped the friendship.
Then the duke is always asking the butler’s opinion. Later we find he’s been bribed by someone that if he was that close to the family he would know had hurt them previously. I cannot believe he kept his job. Constance is shocked by the sight of Violet yet later on are we told Violet is writing letters to her, it doesn’t quite make sense.
We also have ‘continuity’ type issues. Her family lives next door to the duke. She walks Constance home through the gardens, the duke walks to her house for the first dinner, yet when she’s dining there she is in a carriage ( and no chaperone visiting a family who seem hide bound to rules!). When she visits the butler knocks on the drawing room door and then waits for the duke to answer it. She is expected the butler may knock but he would enter and announce her, you would not expect the duke to get up to answer the door! They are married and Bridget is feeling isolated and it says this goes on for weeks and then months. Violet then visits and apologised for doing so in the honeymoon, erm months have elapsed, still on honeymoon?
Confusingly given we have this period that has elapsed since they married there is absolutely no mention of social events that they attend, or callers, which I am sure there would have been as being a powerful family people would wish to get to know her and try and ingratiate themselves, and invites would be flooding in. Also when they are seen in what is deemed a compromising situation there seems to be some talk, but she and her family are welcomed at a ball, and men are asking her to dance. Given the scandal and the fact her family is new to the ton’s ranks and looked down on by many they would have been shunned, people would not wish to associate, especially as the duke initially seemed to be making no effort to try and marry her, or even call on her in the first days after the scandal.
So where does this leave this story? For me it doesn’t work. I found it a bit light with no depth, and we have the issues mentioned above. So sorry I have to give it 2 stars.
Profile Image for Kaye.
7,177 reviews71 followers
September 4, 2023
🎶🎶ONE SENSATIONAL DELIGHT🎶🎶
Ghosting gremlins goo! Emma never ceases to amaze me with her keen wit, impressive talents and unique insights, tugging on those heartstrings and launching every emotion into play front and center, tilting my world on it's axis and propelling this sweet treat to new heights. Misunderstandings and missteps descend in a flurry of reckless decisions and heart-rending lessons, compiling complications and unexpected circumstances evolve as blurred lines and crushed perimeters solidify, observing the dramatic twists and thrilling turns unfold, while secrets are confessed, revelations unveiled and promises are made, hooking you from the start and holding steady till the end, wrapping this gem up sleek, shiny and tight. The characters, banter, dialogue, interactions and charged atmosphere along with relatable qualities and individual traits that add depth and diversity, transforming into lovable personalities. The scenes are so vividly descriptive with vibrant details and colorful graphics so rich and lively, it feels as though you're transported back to ground zero, becoming a part of the story instead of on the sidelines, feeling everything our characters feel. Remarkable job Emma, thanks for sharing this incredible jewel with us.
71 reviews
August 28, 2023
A Clean Romance!

I must first say, I am a huge
fan of Emma Linfield. Her books are a delight. Her dialog snappy and fun! He word pictures are full of detail, and it is easy to see the story as well as to read it.
This was a clean story with love, family, friends, and adventure. I enjoyed Bridget with her optimistic outlook on life. At times, she was too trusting and gullible. Nicholas was handsome but not always likeable. I did enjoy his interactions with his friend, Nicholas.

Bridget's brother was manipulating and awful, as was her friend Violet.

Bridget's father was too easily controlled by her brother and seemed not to care about Bridget.

The Dowager, Constance, was delightful in spite of her personality changes.

My favorite part was when the Duke saved his wife, and a Happy Ending began.

That being said, this was not my favorite book. The premise was good, and I enjoyed the characters. There was some confusion! And I had trouble following storyline. This was not your typical Emma Linfield book.

37 reviews
August 31, 2023
I am a fan of Emma Linfield and basically enjoyed this book. This, to me, was not quite up to her usual standards. I felt she was overly enthusiastic in describing Brigette and Christian's past secrets without letting us know what the secrets were. Too much telling, not enough resolution. And, while you know it is all going to work out in the end, is it plausible that they would wait months before even exchanging a real kiss, much less consumating their marriage?
111 reviews2 followers
September 10, 2023
Chaotic Conflicting Communication

If Bridget followed the advice of her maid, on several occasions she could have acted more understanding. If Christopher was not so stoic, he could have been a better listener. Since there marriage was so unusual, it seemed if they could not be honest and trust each other at the same time. My reactions rose and fell with frustration. Their roller coaster story upset me. Too much stress and not enough romance !
Profile Image for HAL.
425 reviews3 followers
July 4, 2024
A Great, Clean Entertaining Story!

Linfield writes romance stories that any teen and adult can enjoy. This is no different. Who needs enemies when friends treat you so badly? Will Bridget ever find her happiness? What about the Duke? And how does Violet figure into the mix - is she an adversary or help? I enjoyed the story but found the reasons behind Violet's actions a bit vague.
I recommend this as a great read for all ages.
1,114 reviews7 followers
September 4, 2023
neighbors make good enemies!

Bridget meets an older lady walking in her garden, minds confused, sees open gate so walks her home! Learns her neighbor is a Duke, and her fat and especially her brother are social climbers! They plot for a way to marry her to the Duke! A different turn than most books! Very interesting!
Profile Image for Phylis Collins.
2,857 reviews8 followers
August 30, 2023
The Wrong Duchess by Emma Linfield
Characters were written with such great detail and depth that I was totally engaged with each page. Plenty of suspense, mystery, doubt, miscommunication,  and of course true love.
73 reviews
October 22, 2023
Jerkily written. Constant repetition within a page as though it had no editing done to it. And the ramblings of the internal monologues of the main characters made sod all sense at times. No romance and poor quality research. Got about 3/4 of the way through and gave up.
6 reviews
January 23, 2024
The wrong duchess

I really cannot recommend this book, unless you like lukewarm dialogue at best. Most Linfield books have more thought behind them. Sorry to say this one did not. I continued to read hoping for more but did not get it.
266 reviews
August 30, 2023
Letting Go

In order to love Bridget, Christopher had to let his guard down from past hurts. As he learned to trust, their love grew into something special
25 reviews2 followers
September 10, 2023
Lacks originality

The writing does not flow very well at times and caused a bit of confusion. The storyline was okay but so familiar to other historical romance I have read.
874 reviews1 follower
October 26, 2023
The Wrong Dutchess

I was not wild about the story. I found the Duke annoying. I also found Bridget annoying. There was too much manipulation.
Profile Image for Lisa Whitehead.
554 reviews5 followers
April 28, 2024
I'm not far into this book, but I feel like I'm in a factory where books are churned out for quantity but not quality.
The writing leaves much to be desired and the story! No duke goes to his butler for advice on how he should treat a woman he has only just met and been a bit rude to!
Also the author is changing completely a protagonists character over and over within only a few pages and without any reason.

The Duke is purported on first meeting as a gentleman who doesnt act like one, but in a fairly minor way. He then has an attack of conscience, showing himself as an honourable man.
With the turn of a few pages, he is verbally attacking a woman, in her own home amidst many people, and without an overwhelming reason for this - so, completely not a gentleman.
Meanwhile the writing does not flow and seems to have little thought to it, being quite blocking - either repeatedly saying the same thing, or giving no background whatsoever.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews

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