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The Seymour Siblings #1

The Duke's Marriage of Convenience: The Seymour Siblings, Book 1

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A reluctant bride desperate to save her family…but can she save the heart of this jaded Duke?

Kitty’s family is on the brink of financial ruin, and her hand in marriage is their most valuable asset. The spirited tomboy would rather care for her horses than tend to a husband—even if her betrothed is a dashing duke. But to save her family, Kitty accepts the dull life of a duchess, and the societal expectations that will surely crush her soul. Her handsome fiancé, with his extravagant stables and shared love of horses, takes her by surprise. And so does the attraction she feels with every whispered word and flammable touch. This once reluctant bride soon yearns for more than a marriage of convenience.

James Seymour, Duke of Somerset, is resigned to his fate…he will marry for duty, rather than love. Since the crushing blow of his parents’ deaths, guilt has driven James' every decision. A quiet, loveless marriage is all he deserves. But his fiancé is no simpering society miss. With a sharp wit and an even sharper tongue, she has him bewitched and bewildered. Kitty’s joy for life pulls him out of the cold, dark shadows of regret, ready to embrace life again. But James’ stubborn streak turns Kitty’s passion to anger. And the engagement is broken—along with his heart.

James is determined to win back the only woman he’s ever loved before it’s too late. Can Kitty forgive James and give him a second chance?

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First published April 20, 2020

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About the author

Fiona Miers

36 books105 followers
Fiona Miers has a super busy life, like most modern women. But she always finds time for reading and writing romance.

Her love affair with the romance genre started when she was only 11 years old, when her mother and Nana handed her her first Mills and Boon.

Since that day, she's built her own business, become a mother to two beautiful little girls, and fallen in love with the most spectacular man on the planet.

Fiona writes historical romance. She also writes paranormal romance and more erotic stories under the pen names, Amelia Shaw and Tamsin Baker.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
Profile Image for Jamie Bee.
Author 1 book119 followers
May 5, 2020
Started Off OK, Then Got Weird

It's hard to know precisely how to write this review. There were some things that I liked, some things that I definitely didn't like, and some things that just left me scratching my head, wondering what the author was doing.

Spoilers to come, so skip if you don’t like spoilers.



In general, too, I didn't feel like the motivations for all the characters were clear, and that muddied the story even more. Why did the duke actually want an arranged marriage with this particular family? It was never made clear. The former friend... why would he want to marry his former good friend using blackmail and treat her in such a way?

I feel like this story started with potential, but then it got really weird and off the mark in the second half.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
12 reviews
March 1, 2022
I think this writer either has a split personality or thinks her readers are mind readers.

This bin have me such a headache, I Actual think it was written by a child. I really am so sick of this book I feel like I've wasted enough time on it I dont want to waste anymore even to review it. So many skips that she must have been writing 2 books At at the same time and forgot what she was writing about. Thinks that were never explained but the reader was supposed to know what was going on . Ugggg. Please if you have a desire to keep your sanity dint read this book.
Profile Image for Space Cowgirl.
4,133 reviews144 followers
October 16, 2020
She Sees His Broken Soul💔

ADULT Regency Romance💕 with a Second Chance💘 Love. All work and no play makes the Duke a very dull man....

Kitty💃💋, an outspoken young woman is betrothed to James Seymour🐺🍆⛲, the Duke of Somerset, in a marriage arranged by her father, the Earl of Dunn. It's a last ditch effort to protect her bankrupt family's estate and lifestyle.

James🐺🍆⛲ is a withdrawn, haughty young man, forced to become the Duke before he was ready. His father was a cold, distant man, and he made sure James🐺🍆⛲ was brought up the same way.

James feels like he has the weight of the world🌍 on his shoulders. Kitty💃💋 makes him feel alive, but his upbringing gets in the way, and he lies to her about something that was important to her.

Kitty💃💋 breaks the betrothal, despite her parents pleas. James🐺🍆⛲ realizes what a terrible mistake he has made, and his sister Lizzie, chastises him for pushing Kitty💃💋 away. Kitty💃💋 was the only really good thing in his life, and he ruined it.

ARC Provided By Booksprout🌱
I also got this ebook with KU.

The ADULT scenes in this heartrendingly emotional💕 novel are tastefully done. The story is detailed with great 🌎world building, but isn't overly long. It can be read in a few hours. I think this is the first novel I have read by author Miers📚 and I really enjoyed it!.
Profile Image for Lori D.
4,079 reviews130 followers
May 6, 2020
A marriage of convenience. That is convenient for the soon to be bride's family who needed the money!
Kitty is pretty outspoken and James, the Duke of Seymour is wealthy, so a match made in heaven? Luckily they do find a mutual interest in the love of horses and they seem drawn to each other. That is until a terrible misunderstanding pulls them apart and Kitty finds herself sought after by an old friend. Can these two come back together and be happy? An Enjoyable read!
Profile Image for Avigail.
1,206 reviews58 followers
July 13, 2022
My last couple of books were on the longer side, and I felt like reading something shorter. As I am taking part in a couple of reading challenges, I looked through the book that fit the challenges and something quick and decided to read The Duke's Marriage of Convenience.
When I read a short book without an audiobook, it takes a couple of days to read. I am a slow reader; I consume books only with my own eyes.
The Duke's Marriage of Convenience is an enjoyable book; it is Kitty & James' love story. To save her family's financial bankruptcy, Kitty agrees to marry the Duke of Somerset. James, from his side, understands that Seymour's legacy needs to continue, and he takes the opportunity to once Kitty's father approaches with the idea of a marriage of convenience.
Kitty is an independent woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind and thoughts. She is very fond of horses; they are sometimes more important than people. The conflict between Kitty & James is because of horses.
From the little time spent with Kitty, James has feelings that he kept them low guard, but something in Kitty's behavior awakens the senses that remind him of his parent's relationship.
The secondary characters are so helpful to the main characters, like William & Lizzie, the Seymour siblings. On the other spectrum, there are manipulative secondary characters, like Kitty's mother, who will marry her daughter to whoever has money so she can keep her social status and won't be the ton's gossip. There is also Kitty's despicable childhood friend, who comes as a savior at the beginning but is worse than her mother because he is physically and psychologically abusive.
We need a HEA, so both Kitty & James come to their senses and have second thoughts about their argument. James arrives and Kitty from her mother's disastrous matchmaking.
The Duke's Marriage of Convenience is an innovative book, Fiona Miers takes a chance to write a female character that isn't afraid to speak her mind in the era in the book is set. I like Fiona Miers writing, and I look forward to reading more of her works.

Profile Image for Ala.
330 reviews14 followers
January 29, 2024
This book didn't leave much of an impression on me.

The thing is, it felt a bit all over the place. Like certain things would happen and the characters' reaction to it would be so subdued. While certain other things would happen and the characters' reaction would be blown so out of proportion.

Things were going okay-ish. The FMC kitty has quite the backbone and seemed quite sensible. She was not afraid to be herself and I appreciate that in an FMC. The MMC James was this reserved person who was quite nice on the inside but severely misunderstood on the outside coz of his reserved nature— also, he's not very good with words. The two meet, and both of them have this unexpected attraction towards each other that the both of them find quite intriguing.

But then obviously there's a scene where shit hits the fan, like in most romances. This scene felt like it came out of nowhere and it seemed to force-fitted. It did seem a little relatable to the characters and who they were, but seriously it had me all like wth, why so dramatic. This could be solved so very easily. Like it felt like the fight happened for the sake of happening.

There's also the intimate scene— which didn't make sense coz of how abrupt it was, given that this was regenct romance and it seemed particularly out of character for both Kitty and James.

In addition to all this, I didn't find the story to be that very entertaining. It took quite a few days to finish this book despite it's fewer pages, and that's should say something.
Profile Image for Miriam.
737 reviews39 followers
April 26, 2020
Kitty's family is in financial straights and marrying her off is the only way to save them. She's more hellion than ladylike, preferring horses to societal men and women. Marriage isn't on the horizon, at least not willingly.

James, however, is the opposite. To produce an heir, he needs to marry. A marriage of convenience is the best solution: her family is saved from destitution, he has an heir to carry on the family name. But Kitty isn't what he's expecting. The loveless marriage he'd resigned himself to no longer holds any appeal now that he has her in his life.

Or does he? A misunderstanding nearly costs them what they'd surprisingly found and unknowingly longed for: acceptance and unconditional love in a lifelong partner.

One part I couldn't get behind: I understand that a woman was just a bargaining chip back then, I couldn't bring myself to wholly accept Kitty's turnaround engagement to her childhood friend after breaking off her engagement with James. Emotions ran high, yes, but what Kitty felt for James was more than superficial at this point.

Still, this was a good story. A nice nudge in the historical romance direction for me since it's been a while since I've read one. Kitty and James are compliments of each other who figure out what compromise is, and its benefits, before it's too late. The future they thought they deserved or wanted was definitely not what either needed. Instead, the future that lay before them is now open with possibilities to experience life differently and to love indefinitely.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
4,145 reviews22 followers
May 7, 2020
This is my first time reading something by Ms. Miers and I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. I will definitely be looking for more of her books in the future. This is a very well-written, sweet, and entertaining story and I found myself immersed until the very end. It had good character definition with endearing and sweet characters you can't help but love. The storyline was interesting and captured my attention from the start. Kitty is a free-spirited young lady who would rather care for her horses than deal with society but she agrees to do her duty to her family and marry James, the Duke of Somerset, to help get her family out of financial difficulties. James had a bad experience in the past and as a result has become a cold, haughty man. As the two spend time together, they start developing feelings for each other, however, a disagreement and misunderstandings make their path bumpy. The storyline had me enchanted from the first page and there were some nice plot twists to keep you guessing. This is a very well-written story that just comes to life as you read it. I enjoyed it very much and am looking forward to the next one!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
3 reviews
May 30, 2020
Ridiculous Rubbish

What a waste of time. An unoriginal story made worse by the ridiculous idea that titled English men and women did not ride or have anything to do with horses. I was unable to finish it as it was such nonsense. The author should either do better research (or just read some decent Regency novels) or stick to writing modern fiction. Don't bother.
Profile Image for The Jenna Diaries.
101 reviews2 followers
August 30, 2023
So unbelievably bad :’D
It feels like it could’ve been written by a child with how mustache-twirling the “villain” felt and how absolutely idiotic the reason they have a third act breakup is…
Not to mention the fact that the romance doesn’t even make sense… they knew each other FOR A DAY. A single fking day.
Bffr
Profile Image for Kaye.
7,177 reviews69 followers
April 22, 2020
ONE SPECTACULAR WHIRLWIND!!!
Delightful! Fiona takes the load off this enticing wonder, spinning such an enticing, beautifully composed work of art with an enchanting storyline and gripping plot, wrapping this baby together seamlessly. A tumultuous whirlwind of surprising circumstances and quirky mishaps, propels those churning emotions into play, blasting this little gem into a tailspin with an life-altering culmination. Satisfaction is an understatement, this baby comes packing a punch that's sure to please, putting our characters through their paces, catapulting this baby to staggering heights. Braided, coiled and interwoven, exposing the explosive ups and agonizing downs, grounding in it's strength and awe inspiring in it's depth. A multitude of formidable trials and challenging tribulations, noting the compelling twists and wicked turns, tempting our characters in ways they could have never envisioned. The characters, banter, dialogue, interactions, electrifying atmosphere along with relatable qualities and individual traits, blend and flow, transforming into genuinely charismatic personalities. The scenes are written with such realism, impressive talent and unique insight, blasts this sparkling jewel to life, making the storyline pop. Remarkable job Fiona, thanks for sharing this treasure with us.
Profile Image for Emily Pennington.
20.7k reviews360 followers
April 22, 2020
To resolve financial difficulties that would put her family in poverty, Kitty Dunne is offered in marriage to James Seymour, Duke of Somerset, by her father. Kitty is an independent woman who speaks her mind and prefers the company of horses to the social society types. She meets the Duke who feels that after his parents’ death, all he deserves is a loveless marriage. But spending time with the sharp-witted woman who expresses her opinions whether he wants them or not, he is brought out of his cold regret and is ready to rejoin life.

When there is an issue over one of the horses, Kitty and the Duke break off the engagement and she becomes betrothed to someone else. Realizing he could lose her from his life, the Duke acknowledges his true feelings and is determined to get her back. Will he be able to change her mind? Will she forgive his stubbornness? Will they find a HEA with each other at last?

It’s so nice to see a woman from this time period who can get away with speaking her mind. Even so, there were several things that didn’t seem expected in the story. However, I enjoyed it. Grab your copy and see whether they figure out how they both feel and what they are willing to do about it.
416 reviews3 followers
August 21, 2020
A New Author

This is the first book I have read by this author. The book was a pleasant enough read, but historically not true in many ways, readers of true Recency style romance wouldn't enjoy it. Unfortunately there were also typing errors and editing mistakes which were irritating at times.
The 'heroine' Kitty's mother was a harridan, concerned only by her own wealth and comfort, hence Kitty was to do whatever possible to snare the Duke, this being the gist of the story, the Duke being surprised by this fact when he found out that the family were needing funds, I'm surprised a savvy Duke didn't investigate the family when approached by Kitty's father Lord Dunne with a proposition of an arranged marriage.
I'm also surprised that the Duke and Kitty pre-empted their marriage vows after only one day of knowing each other. The timing of the pregnancy was also out, and the 'baddie' who snapped up Kitty when she fell out with the Duke must have been a mind reader to 'know' she was pregnant after only a few weeks!
The book was what it was, very little plot, modern at best and with sex included to attract some readers , by using Kindle Unlimited it was nice to read other authors work which I wouldn't possibly have read.
1,476 reviews20 followers
May 4, 2020
The relationship between Kitty and the Duke was fraught with difficulties!
by sewsummore

To save her family fortunes, Kitty agrees to a marriage of convenience with a man she does not love. She found him to be a cold, haughty man but agrees to the marriage for her parent's sake. The Duke has no interest in love and only seeks to marry for an heir to the Dukedom. Kitty is an outspoken young woman who has no desire for society and would rather spend her time with her beloved horses. They spend time together, and things are progressing nicely until a disagreement between them causes Kitty to break off the engagement. It is only after the Duke realizes what he has lost. I found this book an engaging read. The relationship between Kitty and the Duke was fraught with difficulties due to their very different personalities but, despite this, they had fallen in love and it was up to the Duke to get his love back. This story ends happily but not before they both suffer the pains of lost love.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
7 reviews
April 24, 2022
Nothing makes sense in this book… the father approached the duke with an agreement because they were having financial issues, but that became an “issue” and a “secret” in the end…
Edward’s plot is ridiculous and unnecessary since it gets solved the same way as it started… from nowhere….
There’s also so many missed opportunities: when she finds the letter this could be something, when she tells everyone they want to marry as soon as possible the mother gets upset as if there was something wrong with it but nothing comes out of it, the whole Edward plot could be something else, the whole fact that she treats the servants as friends could be something … and the whole reason they broke up could be better exploited and better written, I mean, I know that horses are important to her and he was stupid, but… come on… and this is (kinda) of a period book, in WHICH PLANET would the lady be SO forward into sleeping with him? Normally when that happens the man is seductive, but in this case he was more reticent than her… and the whole non-exploited private garden situation, the whole lady Penelope that was a huge thing throughout the book and was a paragraph in the end…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
236 reviews2 followers
April 22, 2020
“You lied to me, and I would rather disappoint my whole family than be married to a liar.”

When the Earl of Dunn offers up his daughter in marriage, to the Duke of Somerset, James Seymour readily accepts. Feeling guilty after the death of his parents, James feels he deserves nothing more than a loveless marriage. He just didn't count on Kitty Dunne being so lively, and so lovely! "The Duke's Marriage Of Convenience," by Fiona Miers, is the first book of her new series, The Seymour Siblings. Kitty is resigned to this marriage to save her family from financial ruin, but soon after meeting James, Kitty is quite attracted to James, and passion overtakes them both. James has never experienced the feelings he has for Kitty, but a miscalculation on James' part, causes Kitty to break off their engagement. Soon, she may be forced to marry another. In this second chance romance, you can expect drama, angst, family discord, misunderstandings, high emotions, a bit of steam, and romance. I received this book as an ARC from Book Sprout, and I volunteered this review.
Profile Image for Emma.
2,864 reviews38 followers
April 23, 2020
An arranged marriage finds hope, then sours, then finds true love. I adored the h she is a formidable young woman. She is honest, true to herself and speaks her mind. She adores all many of God's creatures but especially horses. She has a kinship with them. The H realized his duty to marry and provide an heir for his dukedom. He agreed to the arranged marriage sight unseen of his betrothed. Neither were exactly thrilled about the arrangement. The H wished he never had to marry and the h wanted to marry for love. The H had a bad experience in the past and the result was he cut off his emotions and swore to never be vulnerable with a woman again. I would have given this a five-star rating but there was a very important loose thread that was not addressed. The h had a childhood friend whom she adored and thought maybe she would marry one day. He appears in her life ten years later only to be rejected by the h. When the H came back to reconcile with the h the childhood friend vowed revenge. Yet nothing happened. Other that, I truly enjoyed reading this story. I do recommend it.
4,720 reviews40 followers
April 21, 2020
Lies can bring such heartache.
How hard it would be to know that the only asset your family had was you and only because you could marry well. That is what Kitty is facing where on the other hand James is marrying because it is his duty nothing more. What James finds is not a dull lady but one with a fire inside her and boy does he mess up. Now the question is can he win her hand? I loved James’s sister Lizzie I admire Kitty because even with the family on the brink of bankruptcy she does what she feels is right and James well with a little help from other characters he becomes splendid then there is Edward well he is a bit of a jerk. This was a fun and entertaining book that I gladly recommend. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
Profile Image for Anne.
838 reviews84 followers
August 17, 2022
So...this book. It's a love at first sight romance, where Raven is marrying a duke she has never met, a duke who does not believe he will ever love because of the trauma he suffered in the past. Of course, they moment they meet, they are infatuated for no reason. The main problem I had was about half this book is just plan boring. Raven and Andrew have little chemistry, and claim to be in love (including jumping in bed together) after knowing each other two days! It doesn't help that this book is only vaguely historical (it could equally be set at the beginning of the 19th century as the ending), so it ignores a lot of the nuanced societal issues of the time. There are some fun scenes as they banter, but not enough for me to really enjoy the romance.
4,924 reviews30 followers
April 22, 2020
This is a short but sweet with a little spice romance between James, the Duke of Somerset and Lady Kitty. Her family is desperate for cash because her fathers partner stole money from their business so her father arranges a marriage with James who is very wealthy. She is not happy about the arrangement but when she meets James she is changing her mind and James who has been hurt in the past is also beginning to feel more for Kitty but a misunderstanding causes them to part ways and an old friend of Kitty's who is cruel is waiting for Kitty so he can force a marriage with him. Will James and Kitty reconcile or will she be forced to marry another?
3,634 reviews16 followers
April 22, 2020
James, the Duke of Somerset and Lady Kitty’s father arranged their marriage to save her family from financial ruin. I don’t understand how James didn’t realize this as he wasn’t receiving marriage settlements from her and would have signed some paperwork giving money to her family upon their marriage. James is angry and judgmental at first guarding his heart and then has feelings for her, but thinks she doesn’t return them. They sleep together, but she is angry he’s not helping his old horse after he promises to and they break off their engagement. There is no discussion about how she could potentially be pregnant now. I didn’t like this one as much as others I have read by this author.
419 reviews
April 24, 2020
This is a very short story about an arranged marriage between Kitty and James. Although they've never met, Kitty is hopeful that James will be understanding about her obsession with horses. James is mildly surprised at Kitty's spunk. They both become intrigued with each other. Unfortunately there is an argument that could lead to disaster. During this stressful time the author throws in a random complication within James's family that doesn't pertain to the story, or add anything to it. Totally useless. Maybe the author was trying to tie in part of the next book, but I didn't like how it was done. Overall, I don't think I'll be reading the next book.
2,021 reviews8 followers
December 4, 2024
Audiobook: This was my first experience with this author's work, and it was entertaining. I enjoyed the setting as historical England has long been a favorite place to visit in my imagination. I liked James, the Duke of Somerset as he seemed to be an honest, hard-working man. I liked Kitty, but she seemed to be too independent for the times. I enjoyed Catherine Bilson's narration and her performance kept my attention. I took advantage of free audiobooks offered through Spotify. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which reflected my honest opinions regarding this audiobook.
Profile Image for Cheryl Rosenwald.
368 reviews1 follower
April 18, 2020
Loved the fact that James the Duke of Somerset and Lady Kitty at first sight did not particularly like each other. After all it was to be an arranged marriage of convenience. Although after a short time together they didn't want to be away from each other even though they weren't sure why. After a disagreement they decided to separate. Shortly after they separated they each figured out that they had fallen in love at first sight but were not sure how to tell each other.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
1,445 reviews4 followers
April 22, 2020
Fiona Miers always writes such marvelous historical romances! The reader can always be assured to be engrossed by the storyline and get to feel the emotions of the characters as each scene is played out. Kitty and James make multiple blunders on the road to their HEA but they do get there eventually and all becomes right with the world once again...at least in that time period, anyway. Not as spicy as her earlier historicals but Ms. Miers still gives us a fabulous reading experience with this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Gladys Mills.
1,963 reviews8 followers
April 27, 2020
The Duke's Marriage. I enjoyed this story. I am not a real fan of historical romance, but this book was good. Arranged marriages back in the day were usually based on financial gain. But Kitty wanted more from her marriage, and her mother pushed her into marrying so they wouldn't be out on the street. Things changed after meeting James. This is a great start to the series. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. *** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***
Profile Image for Skye Cline.
166 reviews1 follower
July 22, 2020
It was sweet

But I can’t rate this 2.5 stars like I want. This story feels like it’s your first. First into delving into writing a sex scene which was too stilted for a historical romance and maybe a first story as well. There were several typing mistakes so I recommend re-editing this. Also, the Lord Edward part was kind of random. You said he was going to get revenge or whatever leading me to believe there would be some kind of dangerous situation going to happen but it didn’t it left the ending a bit deflated.
48 reviews2 followers
April 22, 2025
This was the stupidest book I’ve ever read (I listened to it on audio book bc I originally needed something ~4 hours long). It’s Bridgerton for horse girls, but worse.

There was no real plot, no resolution to any of the conflicts, and I wasn’t made to care about the characters at all.

I also screamed this into my notes app as I listened:
You’re going to make yourself and your entire family live on the street and be homeless and pennyless because you refuse to marry a man who does not care about a single sick old horse ?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews

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