Never his Duchess: A Historical Regency Romance Novel

by Hanna Hamilton

“You inherited a title.”
“And a very inconvenient widow, apparently.”

Widowed before the wedding breakfast ends, Evelyn Langley is finally free.Until the new Duke arrives, and insists she leave.

Nathaniel Sinclair never wanted the title. Least of all the beautiful, sharp-tongued woman who came with it. Keeping her under his roof risks more than his reputation…

She was supposed to be a quiet solution to his uncle’s debts. Instead, she’s dismantling his carefully ordered life, one defiant glance at a time. And the more she challenges him, the harder it becomes to remember one simple She can never be his.

*If you like a realistic yet charming depiction of the Regency and Victorian era, then Never his Duchess is the novel for you.

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

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

Pick up "Never his Duchess" today to discover Hanna's amazing new story!

452 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 6, 2025

About the author

Hanna Hamilton has been fascinated with the Regency era ever since she was a young teen, first discovering historical romance novels by famous authors such as Jane Austen and Lisa Kleypas. She believes that love was just so much more magical back then, more like a fairy tale. She always daydreamed about finding love herself that way, but since that is impossible in the twenty-first century, she decided to write about it instead!

Born in Texas, Hanna Hamilton obtained a degree in Creative Writing and has worked as a literature teacher before becoming a novelist. When she isn’t writing, Hanna likes to explore the countryside with her husband and two children, gaining inspiration from the natural world around her.

So, come on a journey into love, confusion, and redemption all within the Regency era. Hanna hopes that you will enjoy immersing yourself into her novels and that you too will find a love for old-fashioned romance, just as she has. 


Facebook page: http://facebook.com/hannahamiltonauthor

Reviews

[Lavins · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

A lovely story about two very stubborn people and a lot of miscommunication.
The perfect example of how bad things can get when we only imagine the worse and we take action accordantly.
A great reminder to think and imagine the best in any situation :).

[Danielle Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The quarreling was over done at times

The story of two quarreling lovebirds. It was like watching two children constantly quarreling over their toys and torturing each other just to see who will get mad first. Those games can’t be played in the ton because polite society it not so polite, as our couple will soon find out.

[Selly Hanson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The ending was too much of the miscommunication trope for me

[Jayne Butcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

At nineteen, Evelyn’s father, the Earl of Lowey, betrothed her to the seventy-two year old Duke of Sinclair in exchange for the Duke paying off the Earl’s debt. If Evelyn refused, her father threatened to offer up one of her sisters, seventeen year old Charlotte or fifteen year old Marianne. A series of events at the wedding breakfast resulted in the Duke’s death, thereby making Evelyn a “one day widow”. Nathaniel Sinclair, the new Duke of Sinclair arrived that very afternoon, and that’s when things got complicated. Evelyn wanted her freedom and refused to return to her father’s house, and the old Duke had granted lifetime residency in the dower house to his former sister-inlaw, so she insisted on staying in the main house. Nathaniel wanted her gone. After finally inderstanding the circumstances of her marriage and why she did not want to return to her father’s, Nathaniel made a deal with her. She could stay if she actively looked for another husband, and Nathaniel would assist her by inviting eligible men to tea. It soon became apparent that Evelyn was sabotaging her suitors and had no intention of remarrying. When Evelyn’s father, who was very good at racking up debt, petitioned Nathaniel for access to her widow’s jointure, Evelyn finally understood that the only way to keep him from squandering that money was for her to remarry. Meanwhile, Nathaniel and Evelyn had been spending time getting to know each other and feelings developed, much to Nathaniel’s dismay. Then the unthinkable happened and they were forced to wed. Both Evelyn and Nathaniel refused to listen to the advice of others. Each declined having an honest conversation about their feelings with the other and stubbornly clung to what they expected the other person to say. Rumors, misunderstandings and misinterpretations ruled the day. They eventually worked things out, but not before experiencing a great deal of anger and heartache. This story is both frustrating and entertaining and there are a lot of details that make it special, like fencing and the appearance of a childhood nemesis. Aunt Eugenia and Julian deserve sainthood for their patience, as they were the true heroes of this tale. It is well written, draws you in, treats you to a good deal of inner dialogue and even slides in a little humor. I really liked this book!

[Rose Seals · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another well written story, full of drama, loss, emotions, action, society, twists and turns. Lady Evelyn is the daughter of Earl Lowey who has put himself and his family into debt again. The only way to solve his problem is to marry off a daughter to an old Duke. But when told Evelyn refuses too only to learn that he would marry off her younger sisters to achieve what he needs too. So forced to marry, she does only to find herself a widow at the wedding breakfast. What a relief for her but only for a few short moments when the new Duke wants her out. Nathaniel is the new Duke and tries to have her leave only to find out that she has no where to go. So together they stay and society makes some waves for them. Pushing for them to marry. Time moves on and so does their feelings for each other. Lots of reaction between them. Would recommend to others.
I received this story and leave this unbiased, honest review.

[Doreen Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this well-written story. Evelyn was forced to marry an old Duke but he died on his wedding day. Duke Nathaniel inherited the title and wanted to remove Evelyn from his new home. The story follows the relationship between Nathaniel and Evelyn. After an incident, they were found unchaperoned in the library and were forced to marry. They are antagonistic with each other and this allowed other people to plant seeds of mistrust in their relationship. Will these so called friends be able to damage their marriage or will they grow stronger and rise above the scheming. An enjoyable read.

[Debdutch · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Never His Duchess” by Hanna Hamilton

- I am a longtime fan of Hanna Hamilton’s work. I received a free copy and am voluntarily sharing my honest thoughts.

In this book Evelyn and Nathaniel clash in witty, fiery battles that mask growing desire. A reluctant Duke meets his match in a sharp-tongued widow who upends his world.

This Regency romance balances charm, drama, and a clear moral heart. Delightfully quarrelsome lovebirds with a love that sneaks up on them both.

[Nancy T Vega · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Unexpected Marriage/ /A Widow..

Lady Evelyn must marry to save her younger sisters & soon after becomes a widow. But one thing is for sure. She will not move back into her family home. The new Duke
must search & secure her a new husband but none will ever come close to him. And that’s the problem

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well developed characters from start to finish all wrapped up with twists and turns evolved into a happy ever after romance.

[Poppy · Rating 3 out of 5]

evelyn and nathaniel honeys.... i love yall but this was too darn long. could've easily been 150-200 pages short. the miscommunication was maddening. first 40% was fire tho