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Sisterhood of Secrets #1
Duke of Madness
The Duke of Elmhurst believes he’ll one day go mad, but in the meantime he’ll build an empire with the help of his lucky watch. When the watch goes missing, spinster Miss Julia Wallace becomes his new good-luck charm — and soon he wants her to be more… An opposites-attract Regency romance by USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Monroe!
Matthew, the 5th Duke of Elmhurst, lives a doomed life. Believing himself destined to become as mad as his father, he has resigned himself to a lonely existence. His only comfort in life? His expanding empire—the success of which he attributes to a mysterious family heirloom, a lucky pocket watch that has been passed down for generations.
But after a visit to Mrs. Rutley's School for Young Women, Matthew is shocked to find his lucky timepiece has vanished! Filled with rage, he decides the thief must be the young lady who conveniently bumped into him during his visit, and assumes she has used her beauty as a distraction in order to pick his pocket.
Miss Julia Wallace is a baron's daughter and certainly no petty thief! However, when a desperate Mrs. Rutley offers her former student's company as a way to placate the Duke of Elmhurst for the loss of his family heirloom, Julia agrees to the arrangement... and places herself in the awkward position of trying to become the duke's new lucky charm.
Handsome and seemingly eligible, Julia has no idea why the duke would be such a committed bachelor. But as the duke and Julia become closer and friendship blossoms, she discovers his bleak secret.
Yet just as the stakes are raised, the passion between Julia and Matthew threatens to become stronger than even the most devastating of threats.
Can anything bank the blaze of true love?
And how much will Matthew be willing to risk for the woman who already loves him so completely... body, mind, and soul?
Matthew, the 5th Duke of Elmhurst, lives a doomed life. Believing himself destined to become as mad as his father, he has resigned himself to a lonely existence. His only comfort in life? His expanding empire—the success of which he attributes to a mysterious family heirloom, a lucky pocket watch that has been passed down for generations.
But after a visit to Mrs. Rutley's School for Young Women, Matthew is shocked to find his lucky timepiece has vanished! Filled with rage, he decides the thief must be the young lady who conveniently bumped into him during his visit, and assumes she has used her beauty as a distraction in order to pick his pocket.
Miss Julia Wallace is a baron's daughter and certainly no petty thief! However, when a desperate Mrs. Rutley offers her former student's company as a way to placate the Duke of Elmhurst for the loss of his family heirloom, Julia agrees to the arrangement... and places herself in the awkward position of trying to become the duke's new lucky charm.
Handsome and seemingly eligible, Julia has no idea why the duke would be such a committed bachelor. But as the duke and Julia become closer and friendship blossoms, she discovers his bleak secret.
Yet just as the stakes are raised, the passion between Julia and Matthew threatens to become stronger than even the most devastating of threats.
Can anything bank the blaze of true love?
And how much will Matthew be willing to risk for the woman who already loves him so completely... body, mind, and soul?
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 4, 2021
720 people are currently reading
335 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Monroe
66 books94 followersJennifer Monroe writes sweet Regency Romance you can’t resist. Her stories are filled with first loves and second chances with dashing dukes and strong heroines. Each turn of the page promises an adventure in love and many late nights of reading.
Not sure where to start? Download my free ebook, A Lady’s Promise, from my website and have it delivered to your inbox today!
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...
Not sure where to start? Download my free ebook, A Lady’s Promise, from my website and have it delivered to your inbox today!
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
November 12, 2021
I received a free copy from NetGalley and this is my freely given review.
This is a clean and sweet Regency romance that is the beginning of a series. In general I found I quite enjoyed this sweet romance, but not just for the development of the relationship between the hero and heroine, Matthew and Julia, but because of the relationships between the Julia and the other girls from her school, and her maid, Bridget, and the headmistress, Mrs. Rutley. It rather brought to mind stories I used to read about MacDonald Hall, by Gordon Korman - waaay long ago, and the relationships the boys had. They are young ladies, but grew up as girls together in the boarding school, becoming close as sisters, but still mischievous, with hopes and dreams for the future.
The hero, Matthew, is a very young Duke of Elmhurst, at the age of 21, having lost his father 2 years prior. It was a rather tragic loss, as the father was slowly declining for years it seemed, from some kind of either early onset frontal lobe dementia, or some other debilitating neurological illness that causes hallucinations, delusions, disinhibition, loss of memory, and then I presume a loss of function, and early death. It was labelled as madness, and the current Duke is severely traumatized by what he witnessed and his own fears that is his future. It did not help that following his death, his mother took off to Scotland, and left him with no supports other than his Uncle Ezra.
It is pretty obvious from the get-go that Ezra is in it to gain control of the young Duke and his wealth. He is in general manipulating him, controlling, and undermining him whenever possible. The Duke was made to feel from the beginning and overwhelming sense of guilt and gratitude for his uncle, and cannot see him for the manipulative snake that he is, and the uncle plays on his fears of his impending madness, and dragging his family name further into the muck. Ezra sees the wealth of the dukedom as his, and wants to control all business dealings, and also to control the future through whomever Matthew marries.
Matthew meets Julia when he goes to the school to try to get Mrs. Rutley to sell him some of her estate property, as it edges on his property. He literally bumps into Julia in the hall. However, as he gets home, he finds that his pocket watch is missing and determines that she is a thief and goes back to confront her. He has this unreasonable belief that the pocket watch carries his luck and he needs it to be successful in his business dealings. Mrs. Rutley manages to convince him that Julia will be his replacement for his luck, and he accepts her presence as either her punishment, or to get her to confess. A bit ridiculous, but OK, fine, he thinks he's going mad anyways and has an unhealthy belief in lucky charms, and obviously Rutley is matchmaking, so we shall go with it.
Anyways, Matthew is enthralled by Julia's beauty, and comes to love her, and trust her, no longer believing that she stole his watch. She does not believe he is going mad, and they agree to court, but he is convinced that he will destroy her future with his impending madness, and Ezra plays on these fears.
In general this is a pretty light and sweet romance with some mildly gothic overtones with the poisonous, manipulative relative. The relationships and actions of the "sisters" are sweet and amusing, and there was hints of a history between Ezra and Rutley, as well as some mystery to her past and relationships too. No conclusions or resolutions were given to questions I had about the latter, and I wonder how much will be told of it in future books in the series.
Also, there is some time jumping, as the story starts out in the "present" of 1825, where Julia, as the Duchess (so obviously an allusion to an HEA), travelling to visit Rutley as she was summoned as Rutley is dying, and Rutley asking to be told the story of Julia and Matthew's love and how it came to be. A sweet device, and they go back to 1805 to the start of it. So in theory, it is a narrative by Julia, but as you read the story, there are scenes between Matthew, his uncle, other lords in business negotiations, and with Matthew and other female characters that Julia would not be privy to, which takes it out of the context of a narrative from her POV. Another quibble I had was the mother. I understand she lost her husband and was grieving, but to abandon her son for 2 years or so, knowing what type of person Ezra was? It sounded like other people, like the servants, knew what was going on; one would have thought that she would have still had some communication from someone in the household, or from Rutley, if they were such friends, about how Ezra was behaving, so where the heck was she the past couple of years???
I was still able to enjoy this story though. There was a sweetness in the relationships with the girls, and between Julia and Matthew that I found very beguiling. I am not sure if I like it enough to continue with the series though; maybe the second book, but there better be some movement along the lines of clarifying the questions about Mrs. Rutley or I may not bother. Though there was a statement about one of the other "sisters" being dead and two moving to America in the "present" of the 1820s, and I am now curious as to their stories...
Ahhh, curiosity... it always pulls me in... it's just a matter of how deep the hook gets set now.
So a 3 out of 5 stars for me.
This is a clean and sweet Regency romance that is the beginning of a series. In general I found I quite enjoyed this sweet romance, but not just for the development of the relationship between the hero and heroine, Matthew and Julia, but because of the relationships between the Julia and the other girls from her school, and her maid, Bridget, and the headmistress, Mrs. Rutley. It rather brought to mind stories I used to read about MacDonald Hall, by Gordon Korman - waaay long ago, and the relationships the boys had. They are young ladies, but grew up as girls together in the boarding school, becoming close as sisters, but still mischievous, with hopes and dreams for the future.
The hero, Matthew, is a very young Duke of Elmhurst, at the age of 21, having lost his father 2 years prior. It was a rather tragic loss, as the father was slowly declining for years it seemed, from some kind of either early onset frontal lobe dementia, or some other debilitating neurological illness that causes hallucinations, delusions, disinhibition, loss of memory, and then I presume a loss of function, and early death. It was labelled as madness, and the current Duke is severely traumatized by what he witnessed and his own fears that is his future. It did not help that following his death, his mother took off to Scotland, and left him with no supports other than his Uncle Ezra.
It is pretty obvious from the get-go that Ezra is in it to gain control of the young Duke and his wealth. He is in general manipulating him, controlling, and undermining him whenever possible. The Duke was made to feel from the beginning and overwhelming sense of guilt and gratitude for his uncle, and cannot see him for the manipulative snake that he is, and the uncle plays on his fears of his impending madness, and dragging his family name further into the muck. Ezra sees the wealth of the dukedom as his, and wants to control all business dealings, and also to control the future through whomever Matthew marries.
Matthew meets Julia when he goes to the school to try to get Mrs. Rutley to sell him some of her estate property, as it edges on his property. He literally bumps into Julia in the hall. However, as he gets home, he finds that his pocket watch is missing and determines that she is a thief and goes back to confront her. He has this unreasonable belief that the pocket watch carries his luck and he needs it to be successful in his business dealings. Mrs. Rutley manages to convince him that Julia will be his replacement for his luck, and he accepts her presence as either her punishment, or to get her to confess. A bit ridiculous, but OK, fine, he thinks he's going mad anyways and has an unhealthy belief in lucky charms, and obviously Rutley is matchmaking, so we shall go with it.
Anyways, Matthew is enthralled by Julia's beauty, and comes to love her, and trust her, no longer believing that she stole his watch. She does not believe he is going mad, and they agree to court, but he is convinced that he will destroy her future with his impending madness, and Ezra plays on these fears.
In general this is a pretty light and sweet romance with some mildly gothic overtones with the poisonous, manipulative relative. The relationships and actions of the "sisters" are sweet and amusing, and there was hints of a history between Ezra and Rutley, as well as some mystery to her past and relationships too. No conclusions or resolutions were given to questions I had about the latter, and I wonder how much will be told of it in future books in the series.
Also, there is some time jumping, as the story starts out in the "present" of 1825, where Julia, as the Duchess (so obviously an allusion to an HEA), travelling to visit Rutley as she was summoned as Rutley is dying, and Rutley asking to be told the story of Julia and Matthew's love and how it came to be. A sweet device, and they go back to 1805 to the start of it. So in theory, it is a narrative by Julia, but as you read the story, there are scenes between Matthew, his uncle, other lords in business negotiations, and with Matthew and other female characters that Julia would not be privy to, which takes it out of the context of a narrative from her POV. Another quibble I had was the mother. I understand she lost her husband and was grieving, but to abandon her son for 2 years or so, knowing what type of person Ezra was? It sounded like other people, like the servants, knew what was going on; one would have thought that she would have still had some communication from someone in the household, or from Rutley, if they were such friends, about how Ezra was behaving, so where the heck was she the past couple of years???
I was still able to enjoy this story though. There was a sweetness in the relationships with the girls, and between Julia and Matthew that I found very beguiling. I am not sure if I like it enough to continue with the series though; maybe the second book, but there better be some movement along the lines of clarifying the questions about Mrs. Rutley or I may not bother. Though there was a statement about one of the other "sisters" being dead and two moving to America in the "present" of the 1820s, and I am now curious as to their stories...
Ahhh, curiosity... it always pulls me in... it's just a matter of how deep the hook gets set now.
So a 3 out of 5 stars for me.
January 30, 2022
Matthew Colburn, 5th duke of Elmhurst, believes he is destined to become as mad as his father had been so focuses on an ever-growing empire, all due to the luck he gleans from a family heirloom a simple gold pocket watch. Miss Julia Wallace does not believe in luck, nor any other such absurdities. Fate and personal strength drive what happens in life. When a reclusive man known as the Duke of Madness comes to her school, Julia is immediately taken by his handsomeness. And when she foolishly collides into his broad chest, he does more than take her breath away - until he accuses her of theft.
The first in a new series about a group of young women who forge a bond whilst at school & they pledge to help if any of them are in need. I thoroughly enjoyed Julie telling an aging & ill Mrs Rutley how she & Matthew found love. I really liked both Matthew & Julia & loathed Ezra who made my skin crawl. I loved how Julia helped Matthew shake off his fears & how they grew closer & fell in love. A delightful read where their attraction grew the more they came to know each other & even though they shared no more than a kiss the chemistry was there in spades
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
The first in a new series about a group of young women who forge a bond whilst at school & they pledge to help if any of them are in need. I thoroughly enjoyed Julie telling an aging & ill Mrs Rutley how she & Matthew found love. I really liked both Matthew & Julia & loathed Ezra who made my skin crawl. I loved how Julia helped Matthew shake off his fears & how they grew closer & fell in love. A delightful read where their attraction grew the more they came to know each other & even though they shared no more than a kiss the chemistry was there in spades
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
October 31, 2021
A wonderful story that warms the heart. He thinks he will fall into madness like his father. But his lucky watch is like a talisman to keep it at bay
She does not believe in luck but works hard at the school and is touted as lucky by the head mistress.
Can this almost broken man realize that he can depend on the feelings he begins to have for her and be happy? Great characters and storyline!
She does not believe in luck but works hard at the school and is touted as lucky by the head mistress.
Can this almost broken man realize that he can depend on the feelings he begins to have for her and be happy? Great characters and storyline!
March 2, 2022
Summary
Matthew Colburn, the Duke of Elmhurst will never marry for fear his wife will go through the agony his mother did watching his father become mad and then die. Until he bumps into Julia and he can’t stop thinking about her. Fate intervenes when he accuses her of stealing his pocket watch and through some meddling by her teacher, she agrees to provide the Duke with some luck with his business dealings. But spending time together brings them closer and feelings of attraction start to develop. While Julia embraces the love, Matthew keeps holding back because of his fears, fears his awful uncle is fanning the flames of! They must overcome his uncles meddling, Julia’s jealousy and her parents wishes to make it work!
Tropes: Virgin Heroine, Titled hero, Tortured character, Friends to lovers, Blackmail, Opposites attract
The Plot : The plot was very well executed and a creative way to bring to opposite people together. The story held my interest with the uncle and Lady Dyer’s trying to dominate Matthew, but it was also very frustrating to see Matthew just believe everything everyone told him and also for Julia to see it, but not speak up! But I still was hooked, finished the book, and am looking forward to the nest in the series!
The Heroine : Julia is a leader for many of girls at her school. She is a smart, no nonsense girl, who looks after the others. She underestimates her worth because her father verbally abuses her and her mother. She is very afraid that she will end up in a marriage like her parents where she becomes meek and fearful. Through Matthew, she realizes there is hope for love and respect in a marriage.
The Hero : Matthew is a troubled man after having watched his father become mad before he died. He is certain that is his fate as well. His horrible uncle made sure of that! At first it bothered me that he had no backbone as I don’t care for meek men, but I see the value in the changes he went through to be the man Julia deserved, to stand up for himself.
The Steam : This was a clean, non-steamy book.
Stand Out Moment : Ugh, I hate to say it, but when he broke off the engagement with Julia. I will admit I cried, ugly cried. But I also cried when he came after her…
Who Would Like This : Anyone looking for a clean, sweet romance between two unlikely people.
Final Thoughts : I did enjoy this book; it was well written and defining hit the sweet romance mark for me, but I usually like more passion, even if it’s not physically displayed, between my hero & heroine.
Matthew Colburn, the Duke of Elmhurst will never marry for fear his wife will go through the agony his mother did watching his father become mad and then die. Until he bumps into Julia and he can’t stop thinking about her. Fate intervenes when he accuses her of stealing his pocket watch and through some meddling by her teacher, she agrees to provide the Duke with some luck with his business dealings. But spending time together brings them closer and feelings of attraction start to develop. While Julia embraces the love, Matthew keeps holding back because of his fears, fears his awful uncle is fanning the flames of! They must overcome his uncles meddling, Julia’s jealousy and her parents wishes to make it work!
Tropes: Virgin Heroine, Titled hero, Tortured character, Friends to lovers, Blackmail, Opposites attract
The Plot : The plot was very well executed and a creative way to bring to opposite people together. The story held my interest with the uncle and Lady Dyer’s trying to dominate Matthew, but it was also very frustrating to see Matthew just believe everything everyone told him and also for Julia to see it, but not speak up! But I still was hooked, finished the book, and am looking forward to the nest in the series!
The Heroine : Julia is a leader for many of girls at her school. She is a smart, no nonsense girl, who looks after the others. She underestimates her worth because her father verbally abuses her and her mother. She is very afraid that she will end up in a marriage like her parents where she becomes meek and fearful. Through Matthew, she realizes there is hope for love and respect in a marriage.
The Hero : Matthew is a troubled man after having watched his father become mad before he died. He is certain that is his fate as well. His horrible uncle made sure of that! At first it bothered me that he had no backbone as I don’t care for meek men, but I see the value in the changes he went through to be the man Julia deserved, to stand up for himself.
The Steam : This was a clean, non-steamy book.
Stand Out Moment : Ugh, I hate to say it, but when he broke off the engagement with Julia. I will admit I cried, ugly cried. But I also cried when he came after her…
Who Would Like This : Anyone looking for a clean, sweet romance between two unlikely people.
Final Thoughts : I did enjoy this book; it was well written and defining hit the sweet romance mark for me, but I usually like more passion, even if it’s not physically displayed, between my hero & heroine.
January 3, 2022
Just perfect!
This was a birthday gift and was just waiting to be read - and I'm so glad that I did.
The title intrigued me and so I had to find out what it was all about.
It is such a lovely love story and has such a very different trope to what I have been seeing lately. A school for young ladies where they learn how to conduct themselves and it looks like each lady will get to tell their story and secrets.
It began with the Headmistress requesting their presences to her sick bed some time after they go out and find their lives (and loves) and the secrets ... and stories begin.
This one was about a Duke who believes in luck and also that he will become mad, just like his father was. Julia is the young lady who bolsters his ego and helps him realise his worth and value to those around him. Of course they fall madly in love and go through the angst and pleasure while doing this and this beautiful story tells us all about what happened to lead up to their happy ever after. Sigh! Just perfect!
This was a birthday gift and was just waiting to be read - and I'm so glad that I did.
The title intrigued me and so I had to find out what it was all about.
It is such a lovely love story and has such a very different trope to what I have been seeing lately. A school for young ladies where they learn how to conduct themselves and it looks like each lady will get to tell their story and secrets.
It began with the Headmistress requesting their presences to her sick bed some time after they go out and find their lives (and loves) and the secrets ... and stories begin.
This one was about a Duke who believes in luck and also that he will become mad, just like his father was. Julia is the young lady who bolsters his ego and helps him realise his worth and value to those around him. Of course they fall madly in love and go through the angst and pleasure while doing this and this beautiful story tells us all about what happened to lead up to their happy ever after. Sigh! Just perfect!
March 12, 2022
Ridiculous!
November 17, 2021
Duke of Madness by Jennifer Monroe is the first release in the new Sisterhood of Secrets series. This is my first read of the author and I honestly found some of the story to be a bit repetitive. I also found it hard to believe that Matthew could really be that naive and would have liked to see him have more backbone from the outset. I liked the connection Julia had with the other girls and Mrs. Rutley. I look forward to reading the other ladies stories. Lovers of sweet clean regency romances will enjoy this story.
November 22, 2021
A story about lifelong friendships, first love, family secrets, facing ones fears, and giving in to the ultimate madness of love. It is a heartwarming tale that leaves you with a happy ending. This was my first book by Jennifer Monroe and I will likely finish this series. If you are looking for a historical romance with vivid or graphic sexual encounters, this story will leave you unsatisfied, be warned this is a clean romance and the MCs only share a couple kisses. Even so, I am intrigued by the set up and can’t wait to read the next story.
3.5 Stars ⭐️ | 1 Flame 🔥
3.5 Stars ⭐️ | 1 Flame 🔥
February 6, 2022
A beautiful story of a woman who tries to follow her heart and a man who refuses to fall in love in order to protect her from his future condition.
Read full review in the 2022 February issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2022 February issue of InD'tale Magazine.
October 26, 2021
What a wonderful story. Matthew has a hard time watching his parents and their marriage. He wonders if he will ever have luck. Absolutely loved this first book to a new series.
March 1, 2022
Kinda feels like it was written by a child, except that I've never met a child with no imagination, and I'm about to die of boredom.
October 25, 2021
After watching his parents’ marriage collapse,Matthew Colburn, 5th duke of Elmhurst, has outright dismissed the notion of love. After all, if he is destined to become as mad as his father had been why make any prospective bride suffer? Delving into work to avoid the reality of his future, Matthew focuses on an ever-growing empire, all due to the luck he gleans from a family heirloom – a simple gold pocket watch.
Miss Julia Wallace does not believe in luck, nor any other such absurdities. Fate and personal strength drive what happens in life. Unless one considers her father, who is determined to choose her husband whether love is included or not.
When a reclusive man known as the Duke of Madness comes to her school, Julia is immediately taken by his handsomeness. And when she foolishly collides into his broad chest, he does more than take her breath away —until he accuses her of theft.
Matthew is horrified to learn the very trinket that gives him such wonderful good fortune is missing. He has no doubt that the beautiful young woman used her alluring smile to distract him while picking his pocket. With an important upcoming party and his lucky watch missing, Matthew is at a loss as to what to do. The headmistress of the school insists her pupil is no thief, but rather a woman with a great deal of luck in her own right. Julia will accompany him to the party as a replacement for his missing watch — as his new lucky charm.
As the two become better acquainted Julia sees not a duke who is on the verge of madness but rather a man who is lost. And Matthew begins to believe love may have a place in his life after all – though he cannot help but think that it may take more than just luck to bring them together.
This is a sweet romantic adventure of treachery and love.
It takes lying and luck to bring them together.
This book by Jennifer Monroe is fantastic.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I. read and reviewed voluntarily.
Miss Julia Wallace does not believe in luck, nor any other such absurdities. Fate and personal strength drive what happens in life. Unless one considers her father, who is determined to choose her husband whether love is included or not.
When a reclusive man known as the Duke of Madness comes to her school, Julia is immediately taken by his handsomeness. And when she foolishly collides into his broad chest, he does more than take her breath away —until he accuses her of theft.
Matthew is horrified to learn the very trinket that gives him such wonderful good fortune is missing. He has no doubt that the beautiful young woman used her alluring smile to distract him while picking his pocket. With an important upcoming party and his lucky watch missing, Matthew is at a loss as to what to do. The headmistress of the school insists her pupil is no thief, but rather a woman with a great deal of luck in her own right. Julia will accompany him to the party as a replacement for his missing watch — as his new lucky charm.
As the two become better acquainted Julia sees not a duke who is on the verge of madness but rather a man who is lost. And Matthew begins to believe love may have a place in his life after all – though he cannot help but think that it may take more than just luck to bring them together.
This is a sweet romantic adventure of treachery and love.
It takes lying and luck to bring them together.
This book by Jennifer Monroe is fantastic.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I. read and reviewed voluntarily.
August 22, 2025
Duke of Madness by Jennifer Monroe is a darkly captivating historical romance that plunges readers into a world of passion, intrigue, and complex emotions. The story follows the enigmatic and tortured Duke of Ashford, a man struggling with his inner demons and the weight of his past. Enter Lady Vivienne, a woman determined to break free from the constraints of her own troubled life. The chemistry between them is electric, fueled by their deep emotional wounds and growing trust. Monroe skillfully builds tension and keeps readers on the edge of their seat with twists and turns, while also delivering a tender, redemptive love story.
The writing is lush, rich with detail, and the historical setting adds a lot of depth. The characters are multi-dimensional, with flaws that make them all the more relatable. Though the plot can be a bit melodramatic at times, the intense emotions and romantic stakes make it a compelling read for fans of the genre. If you're looking for a story that combines passion with an exploration of trauma and healing, Duke of Madness delivers on both fronts.
The writing is lush, rich with detail, and the historical setting adds a lot of depth. The characters are multi-dimensional, with flaws that make them all the more relatable. Though the plot can be a bit melodramatic at times, the intense emotions and romantic stakes make it a compelling read for fans of the genre. If you're looking for a story that combines passion with an exploration of trauma and healing, Duke of Madness delivers on both fronts.
January 4, 2022
Old friends meet again.
A chance encounter will change two lives forever not that this meeting went so great. The hero of the story has been raised to admire his father’s abilities yet he feared he would become just like him. The heroine is still just a young lady in school with a father who is not a real pleasant person. This tale is about the romance between the hero and heroine but also about fear and letting it decide how you are going to live your life. I found it to be a fascinating book and I liked the characters. Mrs. Rutley was a gem. I am looking forward to Emma story. I did receive a free copy of this book from WOLF Publishing and voluntarily chose to review it.
A chance encounter will change two lives forever not that this meeting went so great. The hero of the story has been raised to admire his father’s abilities yet he feared he would become just like him. The heroine is still just a young lady in school with a father who is not a real pleasant person. This tale is about the romance between the hero and heroine but also about fear and letting it decide how you are going to live your life. I found it to be a fascinating book and I liked the characters. Mrs. Rutley was a gem. I am looking forward to Emma story. I did receive a free copy of this book from WOLF Publishing and voluntarily chose to review it.
November 30, 2021
Training?
The h repeated this so often, and in a way that defined the girls more as pets than humans.
The H was very naive, and led around by his nose by an uncle that everyone could clearly see was a manipulative piece of work.
I honestly didn't care one wit for either of these characters. I do look forward to Emma's book though.
The h repeated this so often, and in a way that defined the girls more as pets than humans.
The H was very naive, and led around by his nose by an uncle that everyone could clearly see was a manipulative piece of work.
I honestly didn't care one wit for either of these characters. I do look forward to Emma's book though.
November 4, 2021
A story that will make you sigh, cry and smile. The Duke of Madness, Matthew is held back by his fear and his controlling uncle. When he meets Julia he starts to get more courage. His uncle tries many ways to stop Matthew and Julia's friendship. When it starts turning to more his uncle steps up the game. Matthew may lose more than his mind if he does not trust in himself and confront his fears.
October 28, 2021
Thank you NetGalley for offering this book. The Duke of Elmhurst lives next to a school for young women. Julia has met him and they become friends. His uncle has controlled him since his father died. Now Matthew has reached an age where he wants control himself and Julia has told him what a good, intelligent man he is. He has his uncle trying to pull him one way and Julia trying to help him see he can stand on his own.
May 7, 2022
The characters in this book are polarizing. I love Matthew but he is so tortured by his father's madness and his fear of failure. I love Julia and her strength. She is wise beyond her years and fearless for one so young. I love Mrs. Rutley and her scheming to help her students find their happiness. I hate Uncle Ezra and his evil nature. I hate that he gets Lady Dyer to join him by threatening her. I love the premise of this series. I love the pact of the Sisterhood of Secrets, that they will come to the aid of their "sisters" if the need arises and keep each of their secrets safe forever. I love that after each flashback story, Mrs. Rutley reveals a secret! DELIGHTFUL!
April 20, 2022
Delightful
A clean, simple tale of a lovely young man, who believes in good luck charms and a beautiful young lady who believes a person makes their own luck. Well worth reading.
A clean, simple tale of a lovely young man, who believes in good luck charms and a beautiful young lady who believes a person makes their own luck. Well worth reading.
November 7, 2021
This was bad. Hero ( I use the term loosely) was weak and Insipid, and the heroine wasn’t much better. Couldn’t finish it.
August 24, 2022
Weak character development. Improbable situations - did not feel like the author had much grasp of Regency social rules.
August 26, 2025
This was pretty bad.
The heroine is one of a dozen or so essentially identically bland girls (only one of them isn't freely interchangeable with the rest, and she's not the heroine). She's inoffensive and static. I suppose being a hollow silhouette of a person is meant so the reader can self-insert in her place, but it just made me feel detached and disengaged.
The love interest... Oh BOY. If he wasn't so awful, this would have been a more tolerable novel.
The entire first third of this book is devoted to having the hero being outrageously misogynist and classist, yelling at, interrupting, and insulting everyone around him, manhandling the heroine and simultaneously expressing (in his POV sections and through dialogue) how he barely sees women as human beings and that teaching them anything other than how to be a doormat housewife is a waste of time and resources, and therefore the only worth in the heroine is how hot she is and how much he wants her body, in-between repeatedly accusing the heroine of a crime she's innocent of.
He stubbornly refuses to acknowledge that he might be wrong about anything ever, or to take any logical action in any situation. His only good quality is that he is, allegedly, handsome, but he isn't *actually described* until 40% into the book, so he is also a hollow silhouette of a handsome-category human until that point.
The turning point in their romance where the heroine finally and abruptly falls in love with him is a one of the several days they've been forced to spend time together against both their wills and wherein he is marginally less of a raging asshole to her than he has been the entire time so far. Then she decides he's actually a great human being, a great duke, businessman, and starts fantasizing about her future as his wife. She tells all her giggly friends about it and they, and the headmistress of their school, all concur that She Can Fix Him.
The hero has an uncle who he's meant to be contrasted against, except his uncle is also a raging asshole and outrageous misogynist and classist who yells at and threatens everyone constantly, so the net effect of this is that every scene where they both appear doesn't make me think, "Oh, look, at least he's not at bad as his uncle!" but rather, "Jeez louise, there's *two* of them."
As others have pointed out, the author doesn't seem to grasp how Regency society might have actually functioned or how anyone in high society should have behaved. I think the writer was standing in the same room as a television broadcasting a Jane Austen adaptation once - that seems to be where her research begins and ends.
Besides all the other faults, the writing quality itself is... well, not quality. It's full of cliches, dry, bland, and constantly repetitive. The only up-side of this is how fast it is to read, because so much of the text is eminently skippable without missing anything.
The dialogue is dreadful but the narration tries very hard to tell us it's not. A character will be vaguely contrary and smug about it, and whomever they disagreed with will be blown off their feet by how clever and philosophical that character was. Someone will make a banal statement and everyone around them doubles-over in hysterical laughter. It happens over and over again.
A lot of this feels like something a teenager wrote, stuffed full of the kind of fantasies where the writer, I mean the heroine, totally gets to pwn the jerk standing in line behind her at Starbucks, and then everybody in the store clapped.
Also, the framing device is stupid and unnecessary. This framing device could have been an epilogue.
Apparently there's a whole series where all of those interchangeable girls (and the one vaguely interesting one) get their own novels about their own love stories. I will however be avoiding everything written by this author. I'm just glad I didn't pay money for this; it was free on Nook.
If you want something of this general flavor but written by someone who's competent, just pick up Jane Austen's works.
The heroine is one of a dozen or so essentially identically bland girls (only one of them isn't freely interchangeable with the rest, and she's not the heroine). She's inoffensive and static. I suppose being a hollow silhouette of a person is meant so the reader can self-insert in her place, but it just made me feel detached and disengaged.
The love interest... Oh BOY. If he wasn't so awful, this would have been a more tolerable novel.
The entire first third of this book is devoted to having the hero being outrageously misogynist and classist, yelling at, interrupting, and insulting everyone around him, manhandling the heroine and simultaneously expressing (in his POV sections and through dialogue) how he barely sees women as human beings and that teaching them anything other than how to be a doormat housewife is a waste of time and resources, and therefore the only worth in the heroine is how hot she is and how much he wants her body, in-between repeatedly accusing the heroine of a crime she's innocent of.
He stubbornly refuses to acknowledge that he might be wrong about anything ever, or to take any logical action in any situation. His only good quality is that he is, allegedly, handsome, but he isn't *actually described* until 40% into the book, so he is also a hollow silhouette of a handsome-category human until that point.
The turning point in their romance where the heroine finally and abruptly falls in love with him is a one of the several days they've been forced to spend time together against both their wills and wherein he is marginally less of a raging asshole to her than he has been the entire time so far. Then she decides he's actually a great human being, a great duke, businessman, and starts fantasizing about her future as his wife. She tells all her giggly friends about it and they, and the headmistress of their school, all concur that She Can Fix Him.
The hero has an uncle who he's meant to be contrasted against, except his uncle is also a raging asshole and outrageous misogynist and classist who yells at and threatens everyone constantly, so the net effect of this is that every scene where they both appear doesn't make me think, "Oh, look, at least he's not at bad as his uncle!" but rather, "Jeez louise, there's *two* of them."
As others have pointed out, the author doesn't seem to grasp how Regency society might have actually functioned or how anyone in high society should have behaved. I think the writer was standing in the same room as a television broadcasting a Jane Austen adaptation once - that seems to be where her research begins and ends.
Besides all the other faults, the writing quality itself is... well, not quality. It's full of cliches, dry, bland, and constantly repetitive. The only up-side of this is how fast it is to read, because so much of the text is eminently skippable without missing anything.
The dialogue is dreadful but the narration tries very hard to tell us it's not. A character will be vaguely contrary and smug about it, and whomever they disagreed with will be blown off their feet by how clever and philosophical that character was. Someone will make a banal statement and everyone around them doubles-over in hysterical laughter. It happens over and over again.
A lot of this feels like something a teenager wrote, stuffed full of the kind of fantasies where the writer, I mean the heroine, totally gets to pwn the jerk standing in line behind her at Starbucks, and then everybody in the store clapped.
Also, the framing device is stupid and unnecessary. This framing device could have been an epilogue.
Apparently there's a whole series where all of those interchangeable girls (and the one vaguely interesting one) get their own novels about their own love stories. I will however be avoiding everything written by this author. I'm just glad I didn't pay money for this; it was free on Nook.
If you want something of this general flavor but written by someone who's competent, just pick up Jane Austen's works.
January 5, 2022
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. While reading it, I considered deducting points for a few reasons, but ultimately, I enjoyed the book far too much to allow a few issues to affect my review.
My issues were… First of all, Uncle Ezra was too obviously a villain right from the start so it bothered me how long it took for Matthew to figure that out. The fact that his mother had left was a bit too convenient to account for Ezra’s influence over Matthew. I was also bothered by Matthew’s tendency to be easily manipulated by Ezra, allowing him to repeatedly keep Matthew from Julia when it was clear he wanted to be with her.
The other issue was that Matthew had no friends. Like all other young men of the gentry, wasn’t he sent away to boarding school? Wouldn’t he have made friends while there? Why were none of them in his life, offering advice and counsel, potentially opposing what his uncle said? Not having friends made Matthew particularly susceptible to Ezra’s machinations and it seemed unbelievable to me. I realize he was young, but he was exceptionally uncertain and insecure.
The narration is good. It starts in the present, with Mrs. Rutley (Julia’s former headmistress) asking Julia to tell her the story of how she met her husband, Matthew. Yes, she already knows the story, but her reasons for requesting this make sense. By retelling the story, Julia travels into the past to describe their meeting. Unfortunately, she narrates as a third-person narrator. It only works because the reader is drawn into the story and forgets that it is Julia telling it. That said, had I edited the book, I would have suggested switching to Julia’s first-person POV to keep it consistent with the concept of her retelling her story. (I hope the author does this in future books in this series, but it won’t be a deal-breaker for me if she doesn’t). The other thing that was hard to miss was the frequent usage of exclamation points! In The Elements of Style (Strunk & White), exclamation points are addressed thusly: Do not attempt to emphasize simple statements by using a mark of exclamation… The exclamation mark is to be reserved for use after true exclamations or commands. The author would do well to remember this! ;)
There is a sequence of events in the story that didn’t make sense. In chapter 19, the girls eat dinner, Julia comments on how delicious it was, and then Mrs. Rutley goes out. (I think this has something to do with what happens in Emma’s story.) Julia goes upstairs and finds Bridget, her lady’s maid, in her room. Bridget asks Julia if she’d like her to help her get changed for dinner (but she just ate dinner). Julia agrees that it would be best to do it right away. Meanwhile, Ruth enters her room and informs her she has set up a meeting with Matthew at 10 pm in the garden. She follows up by telling Julia she’d better get dressed soon because the hour is growing late. By the time Bridget has finished getting Julia ready to go meet Matthew, it’s time to go.
The tension is good and I found myself stressing for Julia and Matthew near the end, even though I knew they would end up together (not just because this is a romance, but also because she is telling how she met him). Somehow, the author managed to inject uncertainty into a guaranteed outcome. I thought the characters were developed well, with multi-layered personalities and backgrounds, even secondary characters. In fact, this was so well done that I am anxious to read Emma’s story, even though I’m fairly certain I know one of the secrets that will be revealed.
I really enjoyed Jennifer Moore’s storytelling and would be happy to read more of her books. I’m hoping the next in the series will also be offered by Netgalley and I’m keeping my eyes open for that.
My issues were… First of all, Uncle Ezra was too obviously a villain right from the start so it bothered me how long it took for Matthew to figure that out. The fact that his mother had left was a bit too convenient to account for Ezra’s influence over Matthew. I was also bothered by Matthew’s tendency to be easily manipulated by Ezra, allowing him to repeatedly keep Matthew from Julia when it was clear he wanted to be with her.
The other issue was that Matthew had no friends. Like all other young men of the gentry, wasn’t he sent away to boarding school? Wouldn’t he have made friends while there? Why were none of them in his life, offering advice and counsel, potentially opposing what his uncle said? Not having friends made Matthew particularly susceptible to Ezra’s machinations and it seemed unbelievable to me. I realize he was young, but he was exceptionally uncertain and insecure.
The narration is good. It starts in the present, with Mrs. Rutley (Julia’s former headmistress) asking Julia to tell her the story of how she met her husband, Matthew. Yes, she already knows the story, but her reasons for requesting this make sense. By retelling the story, Julia travels into the past to describe their meeting. Unfortunately, she narrates as a third-person narrator. It only works because the reader is drawn into the story and forgets that it is Julia telling it. That said, had I edited the book, I would have suggested switching to Julia’s first-person POV to keep it consistent with the concept of her retelling her story. (I hope the author does this in future books in this series, but it won’t be a deal-breaker for me if she doesn’t). The other thing that was hard to miss was the frequent usage of exclamation points! In The Elements of Style (Strunk & White), exclamation points are addressed thusly: Do not attempt to emphasize simple statements by using a mark of exclamation… The exclamation mark is to be reserved for use after true exclamations or commands. The author would do well to remember this! ;)
There is a sequence of events in the story that didn’t make sense. In chapter 19, the girls eat dinner, Julia comments on how delicious it was, and then Mrs. Rutley goes out. (I think this has something to do with what happens in Emma’s story.) Julia goes upstairs and finds Bridget, her lady’s maid, in her room. Bridget asks Julia if she’d like her to help her get changed for dinner (but she just ate dinner). Julia agrees that it would be best to do it right away. Meanwhile, Ruth enters her room and informs her she has set up a meeting with Matthew at 10 pm in the garden. She follows up by telling Julia she’d better get dressed soon because the hour is growing late. By the time Bridget has finished getting Julia ready to go meet Matthew, it’s time to go.
The tension is good and I found myself stressing for Julia and Matthew near the end, even though I knew they would end up together (not just because this is a romance, but also because she is telling how she met him). Somehow, the author managed to inject uncertainty into a guaranteed outcome. I thought the characters were developed well, with multi-layered personalities and backgrounds, even secondary characters. In fact, this was so well done that I am anxious to read Emma’s story, even though I’m fairly certain I know one of the secrets that will be revealed.
I really enjoyed Jennifer Moore’s storytelling and would be happy to read more of her books. I’m hoping the next in the series will also be offered by Netgalley and I’m keeping my eyes open for that.
November 8, 2021
Matthew Colburn, the 5th duke of Elmhurst has dismissed marrying for love, having witnessed his father’s decline into madness and their marriage collapsing. So Matthew focusses instead on growing his family empire and all he needs to gain him luck is a watch. , has outright dismissed the notion of love. After all, if he is destined to become as mad as his father had been why make any prospective bride suffer? Delving into work to avoid the reality of his future, Matthew focuses on an ever-growing empire, all due to the luck he gleans from a family heirloom – a simple gold pocket watch.
Yet when Matthew meets Miss Julia Wallace, he is at first captivated by her beauty; however, when he believes her to have stolen his watch, he demands its return. Mrs. Rutley, the owner of the school that Julia attends, convinces him that Julia has been known to bring good fortune and suggests that he take her to his upcoming party. Whilst this story is far from the truth, Julia agrees, and they soon start to see each other in a different light.
This was a sweet story, with great friendships developed between the girls at Mrs Rutley’s school. Whilst it took a while to warm to Matthew who seems to take the advice of his uncle without thought for his own position as duke. Julia’s positive nature and strength of character were delightfully and seemed to be what Matthew needed to gain his own self-confidence. An interesting start to this series, and I look forward to reading more about Mrs Rutley and her young girls.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Yet when Matthew meets Miss Julia Wallace, he is at first captivated by her beauty; however, when he believes her to have stolen his watch, he demands its return. Mrs. Rutley, the owner of the school that Julia attends, convinces him that Julia has been known to bring good fortune and suggests that he take her to his upcoming party. Whilst this story is far from the truth, Julia agrees, and they soon start to see each other in a different light.
This was a sweet story, with great friendships developed between the girls at Mrs Rutley’s school. Whilst it took a while to warm to Matthew who seems to take the advice of his uncle without thought for his own position as duke. Julia’s positive nature and strength of character were delightfully and seemed to be what Matthew needed to gain his own self-confidence. An interesting start to this series, and I look forward to reading more about Mrs Rutley and her young girls.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 10, 2022
This is the book i have read in the series and also by this author. Let me first start with saying that I did not enjoy it and it was BORING!.
Mathew, the lead character, when he is introduced is a boorish, ill-mannered individual who has no redeeming characteristics except for his good looks and his physique. Every sentence he utters you feel like, "Why don't I just clobber him on the head." Despite this somehow Mrs Rutley wants to see them spending time together and somehow contrives meetings and the lead girl is thrilled. WHY OH WHY
As the story progresses, you would assume that Mathew, simply because he is the lead would start showing some character and start becoming interesting. He does start developing some character but always takes 1 step forward and then 5 steps back. He is so useless and so spineless.
Then we have Julia. She is a well-brought-up girl. Brought up by Mrs Rutley, leader of a gang of girls. trying to overcome her parents. With all this going for her you would think she is going to take the story by the horns and allow the reader to completely enjoy it. No all of her upbringing, character and forceful personality come crashing down when she is in the presence of her 'Crush'.
She loses most of her confidence, and constantly doubts herself and you feel that after all, she is just a child.
Despite all of this, the characters somehow fall in love and end up with a HEA. Not a good effort at all in my opinion. I struggled to read a few chapters each day where normally I would finish a book from start to finish in 1 go.
Mathew, the lead character, when he is introduced is a boorish, ill-mannered individual who has no redeeming characteristics except for his good looks and his physique. Every sentence he utters you feel like, "Why don't I just clobber him on the head." Despite this somehow Mrs Rutley wants to see them spending time together and somehow contrives meetings and the lead girl is thrilled. WHY OH WHY
As the story progresses, you would assume that Mathew, simply because he is the lead would start showing some character and start becoming interesting. He does start developing some character but always takes 1 step forward and then 5 steps back. He is so useless and so spineless.
Then we have Julia. She is a well-brought-up girl. Brought up by Mrs Rutley, leader of a gang of girls. trying to overcome her parents. With all this going for her you would think she is going to take the story by the horns and allow the reader to completely enjoy it. No all of her upbringing, character and forceful personality come crashing down when she is in the presence of her 'Crush'.
She loses most of her confidence, and constantly doubts herself and you feel that after all, she is just a child.
Despite all of this, the characters somehow fall in love and end up with a HEA. Not a good effort at all in my opinion. I struggled to read a few chapters each day where normally I would finish a book from start to finish in 1 go.
December 31, 2022
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
After being accused of thievery, Miss Julia Wallace can't believe that the handsome Duke is blaming her for his own misfortune. Forced to work in close proximity, as a sort of 'good luck charm', Julia soon realises that the one they call the Duke of Madness, Matthew Colburn, is only a man in need of a friend. As they spend more time together, Matthew starts to imagine a life full of love and happiness, and not worry about turning out like his father. But with his uncle's machinations drawing them apart, will Matthew be able to stand up for himself?
I have conflicting feelings about this book. On the one hand, it was an extremely quick read, so that's a plus. On the other, the characters were all a bit meh, and I was rolling my eyes at a lot of it. The book is 288 pages, but not a lot happens. Matthew is 21, and has been duke for a few years, but he is so under his uncle's thumb, it's honestly ridiculous. His uncle Ezra was a right sod, undermining Matthew at every turn, and making him doubt himself. I feel like he didn't get enough of a comeuppance either, which was disappointing. Julia and Matthew were an alright couple, though, and I'm glad it all worked out in the end. I will continue the series, but mainly only to clear my NG shelf, not because I was blown away by this book.
After being accused of thievery, Miss Julia Wallace can't believe that the handsome Duke is blaming her for his own misfortune. Forced to work in close proximity, as a sort of 'good luck charm', Julia soon realises that the one they call the Duke of Madness, Matthew Colburn, is only a man in need of a friend. As they spend more time together, Matthew starts to imagine a life full of love and happiness, and not worry about turning out like his father. But with his uncle's machinations drawing them apart, will Matthew be able to stand up for himself?
I have conflicting feelings about this book. On the one hand, it was an extremely quick read, so that's a plus. On the other, the characters were all a bit meh, and I was rolling my eyes at a lot of it. The book is 288 pages, but not a lot happens. Matthew is 21, and has been duke for a few years, but he is so under his uncle's thumb, it's honestly ridiculous. His uncle Ezra was a right sod, undermining Matthew at every turn, and making him doubt himself. I feel like he didn't get enough of a comeuppance either, which was disappointing. Julia and Matthew were an alright couple, though, and I'm glad it all worked out in the end. I will continue the series, but mainly only to clear my NG shelf, not because I was blown away by this book.
November 1, 2021
Awesome beginning to this new series Sisterhood of Secrets. A pact was made with a group of students at a girl's finishing school which included their headmistress, that they would always be there for each other. Years later Julia and her friends are called back to the school to meet with the ill headmistress. Julia's story unfolds as she reminisces of how she came to be married to a duke.
There was lots of intrigue in this story as we watch a young duke being mentored by his uncle. The uncle has his own nefarious plans and continually undermines the confidence of this young duke. He is always warning him about going mad as his father had over the course of many years.
This young Duke, Matthew Colburn, 5th duke of Elmhurst, is very trusting and doesn't seem to realize the deceit going on but the school mistress is very aware as their lands neighbor each other. She sets into motion a plan to help him as well as one of her students Miss Julia Wallace.
Miss Julia has a father who is overbearing and has always belittled her mother and herself. He had told her that he has already set up a betrothal for her to a man she cannot stand.
These two will have to fight to have their relationship as there are many forces working against them.
I received a copy of this book from the author and this is my honest unbiased review.
There was lots of intrigue in this story as we watch a young duke being mentored by his uncle. The uncle has his own nefarious plans and continually undermines the confidence of this young duke. He is always warning him about going mad as his father had over the course of many years.
This young Duke, Matthew Colburn, 5th duke of Elmhurst, is very trusting and doesn't seem to realize the deceit going on but the school mistress is very aware as their lands neighbor each other. She sets into motion a plan to help him as well as one of her students Miss Julia Wallace.
Miss Julia has a father who is overbearing and has always belittled her mother and herself. He had told her that he has already set up a betrothal for her to a man she cannot stand.
These two will have to fight to have their relationship as there are many forces working against them.
I received a copy of this book from the author and this is my honest unbiased review.
November 1, 2021
Duke of Madness is book 1 in the Sisterhood of Secrets, a new series by Jennifer Monroe. This book has such a sweetness and an air of supportive hope. I loved both characters who presented as being older than their tender years. Matthew Colburn, 5th duke of Elmhurst has a dilemma. He has entered adulthood with the example of his father’s madness as his fate. His uncle deviously whispers in his ear and undermines his authority and confidence at every turn! Matthew is hopeful that he will be able to be as great a businessman as his late father. With this goal in mind, he meets with Mrs. Rutley at her School for Young Women for the purpose of buying her land as his father tried previously. When he leaves her establishment, he has not gained any land, but he has lost his watch. The watch is a family heirloom and his good luck charm. When the irate duke returns, Mrs. Rutley proposes that the duke spend some time with Julia Wallace, the alleged thief, as she is sure to bring him LUCK! As the pair spends time together, the reader gets to be a spectator to their friendship and eventual love story. Julia is a strong young woman, and she is able to inspire Matthew to shake off the shadows of his past, but will he be able to take the chance for a happy future? I am excited about the other books to come and can’t wait to see the machinations Mrs. Rutley employs to help each girl!
November 3, 2021
Ah, another remarkable series in the making! Matthew, the Duke of Elmhurst, lived in property that bordered a school for young ladies. Julia, the daughter of a baron, was a beautiful and well regarded student. They met accidentally, when he was leaving a business meeting that he had with Mrs. Rutley, the school’s head mistress. Mrs. Rutley struck a deal with the duke that required him to spend time with Julia, and things progressed from there. Meantime, Matthew’s Uncle Ezra had designs on his nephew’s fortune and was masterfully orchestrating events and people to achieve his goals. This is a wonderful awakening story. Matthew’s fear of losing his mind and succumbing to the madness that overtook his father, ran his life. His uncle preyed on that fear. Julia was a bright light who encouraged and inspired Matthew. It is so much fun to watch Matthew grow and take control of his life. The dialogue in this story is really well done. The sarcasm, manipulation, anger, distress, fear, love and profound words of wisdom capture the reader’s imagination and drive the story. I can hardly wait for book two.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 3, 2021
Miss Julia Wallace is a pupil at Mrs Rutley's school for youngwomen. Matthew Colburn, Duke of Elmhurst better known as the Duke of Madness due to his father’s descent and demise by dementia.
Matthew believes on their first meeting that Julia has filched his pocket watch and lucky charm and goes to confront her at Mrs Rutley's school. Matthew believes in luck and without it he fears that he will fail and that his descent into madness will be as swift as his uncle Erza says it will. So he agrees to rhe most outrageous proposition - 3 months of Julia's company training her to be his perfect Duchess and the return of his watch or a parcel of Mrs Rutley's land. Julia is aghast that she is being bartered in this way.
Matthew and Julia are attracted to each other, but can Matthew overcome his fears that his Uncle Erza is incessantly adding to and fueling, will he realise that his fears are groundless and that his uncle has a hidden agenda and that he has no need of a lucky charm if he has Julia by his side or will his indecision cost him a chance at love and happiness.
Throughly enjoyed Julia and Matthew's story of love conquering fears and misunderstandings.
Matthew believes on their first meeting that Julia has filched his pocket watch and lucky charm and goes to confront her at Mrs Rutley's school. Matthew believes in luck and without it he fears that he will fail and that his descent into madness will be as swift as his uncle Erza says it will. So he agrees to rhe most outrageous proposition - 3 months of Julia's company training her to be his perfect Duchess and the return of his watch or a parcel of Mrs Rutley's land. Julia is aghast that she is being bartered in this way.
Matthew and Julia are attracted to each other, but can Matthew overcome his fears that his Uncle Erza is incessantly adding to and fueling, will he realise that his fears are groundless and that his uncle has a hidden agenda and that he has no need of a lucky charm if he has Julia by his side or will his indecision cost him a chance at love and happiness.
Throughly enjoyed Julia and Matthew's story of love conquering fears and misunderstandings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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