The Botanist and the Beastly Duke: An Enemies to Lovers Regency Historical Romance

by Kerri Kastle

I told her to leave. She stayed, and now I can’t breathe without her.

They call me the mad Duke of Penrose,
a beast locked away in a house as broken as my soul.

I wanted silence. I earned it in blood and war.
But then she arrived in the storm—small, stubborn, soaked to the bone,
claiming she came to restore my mother’s gardens.

tried to banish her.
Yet every time I see her hands in the soil, coaxing life from death,
something inside me cracks.

She speaks to the roses like they can still be saved.
And God help me, I start to believe her.

Her laughter haunts these empty halls.
Her courage burns where my heart used to be.

But I can’t let her in.
Because if she ever learns the truth about what I’ve done,
she might flee from me forever.

And I would rather live in ruin than lose her light.

245 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 7, 2025

Reviews

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Botanist and the Beastly Duke by Kerri Kastle has all the feels and did not disappoint. I laughed, I sighed, I held my breath in places as I turned the pages in expectation to see what would happen next. Tessa Wyncombe is an educated botanist with nothing to her name besides the hope and perseverance of restoring the gardens at Penrose Estate where her deceased father once worked. Elias Porter, the Duke of Penrose, has everything at his fingertips, but lives in despair without hope and perseverance. It's a wonderful story of how two people grow to see past the hurts and shames they have been subjected to by society. Seeking to live and push past the titles and societal expectations given to them as they heal, cultivate, and flourish in their lives. I highlighted so many quotes in the book, but one that grabbed me was...." I provided the dirt. You provided the soul." Sigh. That one quote sums up a lot of the story. Between the pages, it's an intriguing, clean historical fiction fairy tale feel with an HEA. There is so much to this story that I can't even mention or I will give it all away. I'm so glad I read this!

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the vein of a gothic story, this book opens with a variation of ‘It was a dark and stormy night”. There IS a death—of sorts—- of what once was a beautiful garden, not a human.
Tessa Wyncombe goes to Penrose Hall, arriving as a storm breaks. She is a scientist, following in the footsteps of her father, even so much as to return to the manor where her father had spent his life’s best project, the garden. The wild storm matches the picture society paints of the owner, Elias Porter, the Duke of Penrose, who returned damaged by the war. As Tessa works to restore the garden, the damage done to Elias is also removed, revealing the restored Elias.
The story changes point of view, with Tessa’s or Elias’, which adds depth to our understanding of the characters. There are situations that develop that appear in a surprising manner, adding interest to the story, with it’s other more predictable problems. But the villain and villainess are finally put out of commission and Elias and Tessa do find their HEA in this story, appropriate for all ages.

[Debdutch · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Botanist and the Beastly Duke” by Kerri Kastle

-An arrival in a storm starts a tender tale where a broken garden mirrors a wounded duke. I received a free copy and am voluntarily sharing my honest thoughts.

Tessa’s quiet resilience nurtures both the grounds of Penrose Hall and Elias’s long-buried hope. Their slow, gentle connection grows through shared restoration, secrets, and hard-won trust.

A comforting, romantic gothic with a rich metaphor at its heart—healing blossoms beautifully here. The story demonstrates the repercussions of war and the evil of society and their rumors. I recommend it.

[Chere Gruver · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an emotional story!

It is not that often I cry when I read a story, but I must have cried buckets with this one. I can’t remember the last time I read something this emotional. The survivor’s guilt Elias felt after losing his troops and how broken he was. The way Tessa gently brought him back to life was truly a beautiful thing to read. Yes, the plot of this story definitely pulled me in and did not let go until the very last word and, this is one of those books that I really did not want to finish. I cannot praise this highly enough!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tully Books_Translations · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply loved this book. We met Elias, a war hero Duke, full of guilt and recrimination, drowned in a sea of darkness and despair. Then, we met Thessa, the botanist, the artist who appeared at his door to bring his gardens to life again. It is not what he wanted, because the gardens were the image of his own soul. But then, Thessa shows her strength of character, and start the redesigning of the gardens and also, of the life of the Master. Such a lovely story, great characters, and just the right amount of angst.

[NelleRenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the storyline. I usually don’t like the first person point of view but it worked for this book. One thing I would have liked was to have a subtitle to introduce which character was doing the thinking. I thought that the way the two characters bonded not only because of their past but also their love of flowers and the garden was interesting. The MMC was full of survivors guilt when it really wasn’t necessary. The FMC was trying to fulfill her father’s legacy. There were some spitful people to add some intrigue.

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book and have struggled to get into the story. Maybe it's feeling stressed about getting the book read in time or reading too many books of the same genre or another reason I can't pinpoint at this time, but the words and story did not suck me in this time. I like Kastle's previous books and like the idea of this story. But alas, today it isn't working for me. I will update my review when I get back to this book.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A true slooooooow burn. So much so I almost Dnf'd. I felt like it was lacking and a bit long. I totally understand this is a retelling, but I wished there had been more of the couple actually engaging in activities with one another. You can count on one hand the deep interactions they have, that eventually lead to their complete and utter devotion and love in the end.

[Eunice Crabtree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tessa, a botanist, takes a job restoring a garden that her father worked on years ago just before he died. When she gets there, she is greeted by a hostile recluse, the current duke who is a former soldier suffering for five years. Kerri Kastle writes a very emotional story about how Tessa helps the duke overcome his problem and it isn’t easy. This is a well-written book that will move you.

[Lyn D Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second book in The Duke's of Ironheart series was a well crafted, clean enemies to lovers' historical gothic Regency romance. The interesting characters and storyline, wonderfully descriptive settings, which included elements of mystery, action, and suspense, made for a delightful story. I recommend reading.

[Mary Ansell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Lovely Tale of Romance and Renewal
The author's imagination reminds me somewhat of the books of Violet Winspear. This is a heart-warming story about the restoration of a magnificent garden and the human heart, and the revival of community spirit.

[Tami Willard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forbidden romance
Opposites attract
Duke drowning in guilt has closed himself off from society
Botanist given the chance to finish her dad's work.
Society determined to destroy their chances

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is truly a feel good happily ever after story! Tessa has so much strength. She is also compassionate. Elias has incredible pain and guilt from serving in the military. Their story of bringing a garden back to life is so sweet and so metaphorical. The garden provides so many lessons. What a deeply satisfying story it is to read!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Passionate but extremely repetitive. The Duke makes the same stupid choice not once, not twice, but FIVE FREAKING TIMES. All the flowery language doesn't save his character failings.