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A Duchess Replaced: A Historical Regency Romance Novel
“My sister ran away, Your Grace.”
“Then you’ll just have to do, won’t you, my lady?”
The Duke will not leave without a bride. And with her sister gone, Bridget is given a marry the infuriating man himself, or sacrifice her family. So she agrees, vowing never to make it easy for him.
Duke Anthony always gets what he wants. And right now, that is a wife. Even if she is an insolent little minx, bend on enraging him, he can tame her…
Or so he thought. Because every day Bridget finds ways to drive Anthony mad. Either with anger, or something else… something he can never allow to happen…
*If you like powerful Dukes, loving Duchesses and a marvelous depiction of the majestic Regency and Victorian era, then A Duchess Replaced is the novel for you.
An enchanting regency romance of 60,000 words (around 300 pages), written by Emma Linfield and published by Cobalt Fairy.
No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a sweet happily ever after.
Pick up "A Duchess Replaced" today to discover Emma's amazing new story!
“Then you’ll just have to do, won’t you, my lady?”
The Duke will not leave without a bride. And with her sister gone, Bridget is given a marry the infuriating man himself, or sacrifice her family. So she agrees, vowing never to make it easy for him.
Duke Anthony always gets what he wants. And right now, that is a wife. Even if she is an insolent little minx, bend on enraging him, he can tame her…
Or so he thought. Because every day Bridget finds ways to drive Anthony mad. Either with anger, or something else… something he can never allow to happen…
*If you like powerful Dukes, loving Duchesses and a marvelous depiction of the majestic Regency and Victorian era, then A Duchess Replaced is the novel for you.
An enchanting regency romance of 60,000 words (around 300 pages), written by Emma Linfield and published by Cobalt Fairy.
No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a sweet happily ever after.
Pick up "A Duchess Replaced" today to discover Emma's amazing new story!
- GenresHistorical
372 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 4, 2025
207 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Emma Linfield
111 books82 followersEmma 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)
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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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 31, 2025
The Earl of Edgerton has a problem. He’s in debt and has sold everything that isn’t entailed. Anthony, the Duke of Wilds, is the solution to the earl’s problems. The duke is rich; the earl is poor. What’s a poor earl to do? Marry off one of his daughters to the duke…doesn’t really matter which one. And the duke – what does he get out of “this medieval proposal,” as the duke puts it? I don’t know. It is never explained why the duke is 1) looking for a wife, and 2) has selected the Finch family of daughters.
It isn’t a spoiler that the duke is looking to leave England for the New World, presumably to add to his considerable fortune and to escape the duchy (and thereby his marriage) – it’s mentioned early on. And he’s not sure that he’s ever coming back. So…why marry? And for goodness’ sake, why marry into the destitute Finch family led by an earl who is debauched, addicted to gambling, a liar, and a dissembler?
Why, indeed…? It’s a huge hole in the story, and it takes away a full star from the rating. And…telling readers that there’s an explanatory prelude chapter that can be read by clicking a link is not a feature, it’s a bug…a problem. If a chapter explains the reasoning behind a plot, that chapter needs to be included in the book. (Hello, Cobalt Fairy publishing! Anybody home? Anybody listening?)
This mystery surrounding the justification for a hasty marriage between a wealthy duke and a destitute family is a sticking point. Instead of solid plot details and storyline, we are given page after page of minutiae. While it’s important in establishing characters’ personalities and raisons d’être early in the book—and this can be done by showing us how they live and what they think—there is an overwhelming and tiresome display of day-to-day living. And…if I had had to read about tea being served, sweetened, and sipped one more time, I would have been sorely tempted to throw my poor Kindle across the room. Argh! Just…argh!
The two main characters are oddly matched. The duke is taciturn with a cold, imperious façade. The sister who marries him by default—the sister that was supposed to marry him runs away—is Bridget, an intelligent, thoughtful, and (of course) beautiful young woman. She wins over the duke’s household servants who are themselves interesting secondary characters. She considers others’ needs and performs many tasks beneath the usual role of a duchess. She takes care of her own clothing, dresses herself, bargains with vendors for the best prices for necessary goods (potatoes, meat, etc.).
The duke is not as well fleshed out as Bridget and at times seems almost to be a caricature of himself. While it may have been done as a way to build suspense, his character unfolds slowly…very, very, very slowly. He is much into his role of a cold, indifferent duke.
There are some well-defined villains in the book…but…while their motivations are shown, the reasons for their motivations are not explored. For instance, the Earl of Edgerton is our first villain. His perfidy is on full display. He is a weak, greedy man who has gambled away the title’s fortune, possessions, and home – everything that isn’t entailed to the earldom. He is a liar who bullies his wife and daughters, using fear and intimidation to keep them in their places. His temperament and personal foibles are well laid out for us. But what caused his behavior? On one page, his daughter, Bridget, is thinking “Her father had always been a storm—violent, unrelenting, and impossible to escape.” But she also remembers “the sound of their mother’s laughter echoing through the halls [and] the warmth of a family unbroken.”
So…what happened? What caused the change in the earl and, therefore, the family? Or was there a change at all? On one page, we read that the earl has always been a violent man, and on another, we are told of happier times that included an unbroken family who laughed. Which is it? A careful edit is needed here. Not even a prelude chapter can explain away this dichotomy in the earl’s behavior.
The other two villains are the duke’s stepmother, the Dowager Duchess of Wilds, and his stepbrother, Edwin. There are numerous scenes that show their duplicity and treachery; they are well-portrayed. Their motivation is clearly stated. They want the dukedom for themselves. The stepmother, nicknamed “the Spider” by the duke, wants her son, Edwin, to be declared duke. Seems to this reader that it’s already a fait accompli since the duke is preparing to run off to America.
Of the two, the stepbrother, Edwin, is the more sympathetic. At the end of the book, we see that he has been raised in a way similar to the duke: maternal love has been withheld, no matter how hard Edwin has tried to act in ways to make his mother notice him, if not actually love him. He could have been a fascinating villain if the writer had shown us what made him tick, caused him to turn to evil…perhaps even offered a road to redemption. But that doesn’t happen. Minutiae incorporating gowns, shoes, books, and more tea are written about interminably…but…not one mention of Edwin’s thoughts and hopes, loves and fears. These characteristics turn a bad guy into a flawed man and in turn, an unforgettable villain. IMHO.
The dowager duchess is a cardboard character. She’s evil and ugly inside. We’re told this and we’re shown scenes where she is ruthless and cruel. However, there’s no sense of what makes her an individual. What happened to her that she turned to cruelty over kindness as a means to an end? She is incomplete. Again, minutiae over substance surrounds her scenes.
There are few errors, and that adds pleasure to the story. Here are some examples (nothing too serious):
Bridget’s sister worries that Bridget will get cold outside and asks, “Where’s you wrap?” That should be “Where’s your wrap?”
Fairchild, the duke’s valet and faithful friend, says, “You made the request for the lock to be change some time ago…” That should read, “…for the lock to be changed…”
Fairchild’s name is hyphenated oddly at the end of a line, to continue onto the next line. It is abbreviated like this: Fairch-ild. It should be hyphenated, Fair-child.
A peer’s title is not capitalized unless it is used in his full name (i.e., the Duke of Wilds) or the title is being used as his name (not proper etiquette, perhaps, but possible). This capitalization is incorrect: “The Duke’s study was quiet…” This should read, “The duke’s study…”
This erroneous capitalization occurs constantly, but not consistently. Here, "earl" is capitalized erroneously: "The Earl slammed the door..." (this should be "The earl slammed the door...") But here, it is not capitalized - and that's correct: "...daughter of a penniless earl..."
There is a stray single tick mark: “The ‘Duke’s study was quiet save for the rustle of paper…” The single tick mark in front of “Duke” is unnecessary.
While these are not terrible errors, they do pause a reader’s momentum.
I rated this book a solid 3.5 stars. It’s better than a 3-star read but is not at a 4-star level. The writer’s style is good even when the topics are mundane. The feel of the book is definitely Regency. This story could not be placed in any other ear, even Victorian. This is very well accomplished.
I tend not to care for the publisher, Cobalt Fairy. They do not include copyright information in books they publish, and that seems a dubious practice and odd. In every book I’ve read where they were the publisher, they’ve suggested reading a prelude chapter that can be accessed by clicking on a link which takes the reader to a webpage elsewhere on the internet (the chapter isn’t included in the book). In this case, the prelude chapter is touted as a clarification that better explains what started the story. I’m unimpressed. If a chapter is necessary to explain the purpose of the plot, then it needs to be included in the book, as a prologue, perhaps. [I’m a fan of prologues.]
I’ll definitely read more books by Ms. Linfield. I like her writing style. I’d like to see her write villains with more depth…and I do like the possibility of redemption for a villain if it’s presented realistically within the framework of the story. She writes well, and I think she could easily remove some of the daily routines and replace them with deeper character rationale. I look forward to another book by Ms. Linfield.
It isn’t a spoiler that the duke is looking to leave England for the New World, presumably to add to his considerable fortune and to escape the duchy (and thereby his marriage) – it’s mentioned early on. And he’s not sure that he’s ever coming back. So…why marry? And for goodness’ sake, why marry into the destitute Finch family led by an earl who is debauched, addicted to gambling, a liar, and a dissembler?
Why, indeed…? It’s a huge hole in the story, and it takes away a full star from the rating. And…telling readers that there’s an explanatory prelude chapter that can be read by clicking a link is not a feature, it’s a bug…a problem. If a chapter explains the reasoning behind a plot, that chapter needs to be included in the book. (Hello, Cobalt Fairy publishing! Anybody home? Anybody listening?)
This mystery surrounding the justification for a hasty marriage between a wealthy duke and a destitute family is a sticking point. Instead of solid plot details and storyline, we are given page after page of minutiae. While it’s important in establishing characters’ personalities and raisons d’être early in the book—and this can be done by showing us how they live and what they think—there is an overwhelming and tiresome display of day-to-day living. And…if I had had to read about tea being served, sweetened, and sipped one more time, I would have been sorely tempted to throw my poor Kindle across the room. Argh! Just…argh!
The two main characters are oddly matched. The duke is taciturn with a cold, imperious façade. The sister who marries him by default—the sister that was supposed to marry him runs away—is Bridget, an intelligent, thoughtful, and (of course) beautiful young woman. She wins over the duke’s household servants who are themselves interesting secondary characters. She considers others’ needs and performs many tasks beneath the usual role of a duchess. She takes care of her own clothing, dresses herself, bargains with vendors for the best prices for necessary goods (potatoes, meat, etc.).
The duke is not as well fleshed out as Bridget and at times seems almost to be a caricature of himself. While it may have been done as a way to build suspense, his character unfolds slowly…very, very, very slowly. He is much into his role of a cold, indifferent duke.
There are some well-defined villains in the book…but…while their motivations are shown, the reasons for their motivations are not explored. For instance, the Earl of Edgerton is our first villain. His perfidy is on full display. He is a weak, greedy man who has gambled away the title’s fortune, possessions, and home – everything that isn’t entailed to the earldom. He is a liar who bullies his wife and daughters, using fear and intimidation to keep them in their places. His temperament and personal foibles are well laid out for us. But what caused his behavior? On one page, his daughter, Bridget, is thinking “Her father had always been a storm—violent, unrelenting, and impossible to escape.” But she also remembers “the sound of their mother’s laughter echoing through the halls [and] the warmth of a family unbroken.”
So…what happened? What caused the change in the earl and, therefore, the family? Or was there a change at all? On one page, we read that the earl has always been a violent man, and on another, we are told of happier times that included an unbroken family who laughed. Which is it? A careful edit is needed here. Not even a prelude chapter can explain away this dichotomy in the earl’s behavior.
The other two villains are the duke’s stepmother, the Dowager Duchess of Wilds, and his stepbrother, Edwin. There are numerous scenes that show their duplicity and treachery; they are well-portrayed. Their motivation is clearly stated. They want the dukedom for themselves. The stepmother, nicknamed “the Spider” by the duke, wants her son, Edwin, to be declared duke. Seems to this reader that it’s already a fait accompli since the duke is preparing to run off to America.
Of the two, the stepbrother, Edwin, is the more sympathetic. At the end of the book, we see that he has been raised in a way similar to the duke: maternal love has been withheld, no matter how hard Edwin has tried to act in ways to make his mother notice him, if not actually love him. He could have been a fascinating villain if the writer had shown us what made him tick, caused him to turn to evil…perhaps even offered a road to redemption. But that doesn’t happen. Minutiae incorporating gowns, shoes, books, and more tea are written about interminably…but…not one mention of Edwin’s thoughts and hopes, loves and fears. These characteristics turn a bad guy into a flawed man and in turn, an unforgettable villain. IMHO.
The dowager duchess is a cardboard character. She’s evil and ugly inside. We’re told this and we’re shown scenes where she is ruthless and cruel. However, there’s no sense of what makes her an individual. What happened to her that she turned to cruelty over kindness as a means to an end? She is incomplete. Again, minutiae over substance surrounds her scenes.
There are few errors, and that adds pleasure to the story. Here are some examples (nothing too serious):
Bridget’s sister worries that Bridget will get cold outside and asks, “Where’s you wrap?” That should be “Where’s your wrap?”
Fairchild, the duke’s valet and faithful friend, says, “You made the request for the lock to be change some time ago…” That should read, “…for the lock to be changed…”
Fairchild’s name is hyphenated oddly at the end of a line, to continue onto the next line. It is abbreviated like this: Fairch-ild. It should be hyphenated, Fair-child.
A peer’s title is not capitalized unless it is used in his full name (i.e., the Duke of Wilds) or the title is being used as his name (not proper etiquette, perhaps, but possible). This capitalization is incorrect: “The Duke’s study was quiet…” This should read, “The duke’s study…”
This erroneous capitalization occurs constantly, but not consistently. Here, "earl" is capitalized erroneously: "The Earl slammed the door..." (this should be "The earl slammed the door...") But here, it is not capitalized - and that's correct: "...daughter of a penniless earl..."
There is a stray single tick mark: “The ‘Duke’s study was quiet save for the rustle of paper…” The single tick mark in front of “Duke” is unnecessary.
While these are not terrible errors, they do pause a reader’s momentum.
I rated this book a solid 3.5 stars. It’s better than a 3-star read but is not at a 4-star level. The writer’s style is good even when the topics are mundane. The feel of the book is definitely Regency. This story could not be placed in any other ear, even Victorian. This is very well accomplished.
I tend not to care for the publisher, Cobalt Fairy. They do not include copyright information in books they publish, and that seems a dubious practice and odd. In every book I’ve read where they were the publisher, they’ve suggested reading a prelude chapter that can be accessed by clicking on a link which takes the reader to a webpage elsewhere on the internet (the chapter isn’t included in the book). In this case, the prelude chapter is touted as a clarification that better explains what started the story. I’m unimpressed. If a chapter is necessary to explain the purpose of the plot, then it needs to be included in the book, as a prologue, perhaps. [I’m a fan of prologues.]
I’ll definitely read more books by Ms. Linfield. I like her writing style. I’d like to see her write villains with more depth…and I do like the possibility of redemption for a villain if it’s presented realistically within the framework of the story. She writes well, and I think she could easily remove some of the daily routines and replace them with deeper character rationale. I look forward to another book by Ms. Linfield.
February 15, 2025
Second Choice!
A difficult story of how the parent who is supposed to protect you is your worst enemy!Duke Anthony’s mother died when he was a baby, and his stepmother despised him and wanted the title for her son born a few years later. Being raised, listening to her hateful words, no wonder he is labeled “Stonehearted Duke”! But he need an heir, and and Earl hascoerced him into marrying his oldest daughter, except when he goes to wed her she’s runaway! So he sees Bridget and says he will h@ve a bride that day! But Bridget is not the meek bride, she has a temper, and he finds he likes a lady with backbone! A long and heart wrenching journey to happiness!
A difficult story of how the parent who is supposed to protect you is your worst enemy!Duke Anthony’s mother died when he was a baby, and his stepmother despised him and wanted the title for her son born a few years later. Being raised, listening to her hateful words, no wonder he is labeled “Stonehearted Duke”! But he need an heir, and and Earl hascoerced him into marrying his oldest daughter, except when he goes to wed her she’s runaway! So he sees Bridget and says he will h@ve a bride that day! But Bridget is not the meek bride, she has a temper, and he finds he likes a lady with backbone! A long and heart wrenching journey to happiness!
February 10, 2025
The duke, Anthony, marries to help him deal with the situation he is dealing with from both his brother and stepmother. Bridget ultimately became his duchess after her sister, the one her greedy, in debt gambling father was forcing into marriage ran away the day of the wedding. They both need to unite together and overcome all the obstacles thrown at them from family members before they find their hea
February 15, 2025
I believe this is one of the best I've read from this author. Starting with the beginning til the extended epilogue I was enraptured by all the unexpected twists and turns of Anthony and Bridget's love story. It's always a plus when I get 'riled up' over the unpleasant characters and how they contribute to the plot.
March 11, 2025
Hardship, hardness, hope through love
So many are brought up hardened, unloved, and strong by necessity. Then, something happens to crack and then break the shell to either ruin or triumph.... Excellent story of hard lives, cruel people, and change. Highly recommended for all readers. Contrasts outcomes with choices.
So many are brought up hardened, unloved, and strong by necessity. Then, something happens to crack and then break the shell to either ruin or triumph.... Excellent story of hard lives, cruel people, and change. Highly recommended for all readers. Contrasts outcomes with choices.
April 4, 2025
A swap/A Deceitful Family/Love…
A marriage arranged by her father, the Duchess (Bridget) is someone upset but will make the most of her duties. Anthony(the Duke), has un-
foreseen forces working against him
As he plans his businesses. But it all brings the two of them together in a troubled time. Love comes to all!
A marriage arranged by her father, the Duchess (Bridget) is someone upset but will make the most of her duties. Anthony(the Duke), has un-
foreseen forces working against him
As he plans his businesses. But it all brings the two of them together in a troubled time. Love comes to all!
March 24, 2025
A lovematch against the odds.
Whilst things didn't start out well for our two combatants, sorry, I mean 2 main characters, where everything that could be against them was there. It seems that even then, though true love may not run smooth it does fight for them.. I loved it
Whilst things didn't start out well for our two combatants, sorry, I mean 2 main characters, where everything that could be against them was there. It seems that even then, though true love may not run smooth it does fight for them.. I loved it
July 14, 2025
Wonderful Story
A wonderful story full of emotions and strength! I loved the heroine, she was fantastic! Her strong character shined through some heavy burdens. A lovely ending that made me smile.
A wonderful story full of emotions and strength! I loved the heroine, she was fantastic! Her strong character shined through some heavy burdens. A lovely ending that made me smile.
February 12, 2025
Exciting story
Bridget had a horrible father, but she also had a great backbone to stand up for herself. There are some nasty characters as well as some supporting ones. It has some nail-biting scenes that make you wonder how it is all going to play out. You don't want to miss this wonderful story.
Bridget had a horrible father, but she also had a great backbone to stand up for herself. There are some nasty characters as well as some supporting ones. It has some nail-biting scenes that make you wonder how it is all going to play out. You don't want to miss this wonderful story.
February 10, 2025
This was an excellent book! It was cleanly written, without graphic language. I truly appreciate that. The characters were very interesting and the plot was captivating.
March 1, 2025
A Duchess' Replaced
I loved it and enjoyed the action and all the conflict. I had a hard time putting this story down to do other things, so I just finished reading it.
I loved it and enjoyed the action and all the conflict. I had a hard time putting this story down to do other things, so I just finished reading it.
Read
April 16, 2025Always enjoyed books by MS Linfield. Too bad the stepmother couldn't go with her son.
July 1, 2025
Quite liked it actually.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews