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The Devout Duchess: A Historical Regency Romance Novel
“You had your chance to run. Now, you have no choice but to marry me…”
Escaping the cruel nunnery she was raised in, Prudence ends up being sold to the highest bidder by her father. Only for her soon-to-be groom to die right before their wedding…
Taking over his brother’s duties, Cassian is not only left with a dukedom… but a bride as well. One that is completely out of the ordinary at that! But Cassian has three rules for his new
1. Never disturb him when he is working.
2. Never leave the house without telling him.
3. And never, ever mention having an heir!
All three meant to keep Prudence away. Yet the moment she breaks them, all he burns for is to pull her close…
*If you like powerful Dukes, loving Duchesses and a marvelous depiction of the majestic Regency and Victorian era, then The Devout Duchess is the novel for you.
An enchanting regency romance by Cobalt Fairy of 80,000 words (around 400 pages) written by Hazel Linwood. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a sweet happily ever after.
Pick up "The Devout Duchess" today to discover Hazel's captivating story!
Escaping the cruel nunnery she was raised in, Prudence ends up being sold to the highest bidder by her father. Only for her soon-to-be groom to die right before their wedding…
Taking over his brother’s duties, Cassian is not only left with a dukedom… but a bride as well. One that is completely out of the ordinary at that! But Cassian has three rules for his new
1. Never disturb him when he is working.
2. Never leave the house without telling him.
3. And never, ever mention having an heir!
All three meant to keep Prudence away. Yet the moment she breaks them, all he burns for is to pull her close…
*If you like powerful Dukes, loving Duchesses and a marvelous depiction of the majestic Regency and Victorian era, then The Devout Duchess is the novel for you.
An enchanting regency romance by Cobalt Fairy of 80,000 words (around 400 pages) written by Hazel Linwood. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a sweet happily ever after.
Pick up "The Devout Duchess" today to discover Hazel's captivating story!
467 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 23, 2025
107 people are currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Hazel Linwood
84 books50 followersInfluenced by the extraordinary tales of Jane Austen and Maria Edgeworth, Hazel Linwood has always adored the fairy-tale like romances of the past. The youngest of four sisters, she has spent most of her youth lost in the classic historical romances of her favorite authors. Despite her parents’ efforts to persuade her to pursue a career in medicine, she found her heart's true calling in English Literature.
After obtaining her degree, Hazel worked as an English teacher. That was until she met her husband and decided to indulge in her secret passion...writing! When she isn’t writing, Hazel enjoys spending time with her family, travelling or roaming the Texan countryside.
Embark on this journey of desire, decorum and intense love of Regency England. Let Hazel transport you into an era of pure, sincere love and charming lords that will take your breath away!
After obtaining her degree, Hazel worked as an English teacher. That was until she met her husband and decided to indulge in her secret passion...writing! When she isn’t writing, Hazel enjoys spending time with her family, travelling or roaming the Texan countryside.
Embark on this journey of desire, decorum and intense love of Regency England. Let Hazel transport you into an era of pure, sincere love and charming lords that will take your breath away!
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 4, 2026
Nunnery wife
I usually love stories about heroines from a nunnery. This one was just okay. Wasn't bad and I liked the hero. There is danger and intrigue and attempted murder. His Mother is an evil old bat! Her turnaround was a little too late. But at least she apologized. Safe story too. No smutty scenes. No.scenes at all. I like that. Totally clean.
I usually love stories about heroines from a nunnery. This one was just okay. Wasn't bad and I liked the hero. There is danger and intrigue and attempted murder. His Mother is an evil old bat! Her turnaround was a little too late. But at least she apologized. Safe story too. No smutty scenes. No.scenes at all. I like that. Totally clean.
Read
February 22, 2026Nah
January 31, 2026
Poor editing.
From the first two chapters alone (page numbers precede):
Ch 1
17. She did not know how to tell him that she felt that way due a comment made by Sir Lionel. [Note: Missing "to."]
17. "Retire?" he repeated. She wondered if he was going to get angry at that though she still did not fully understand what purpose she served at the table. [Note: Sometimes there were commas before an independent "though" clause, and sometimes not, as if the editor couldn't make up his/her mind.]
18. "Not one that I can refuse and it lets that me that he is a man who knows what he wants." [??]
19. "This is a salvation, and you ought to be show more gratitude." [??]
19. "You are not being wed to anyone on that table." [Note: "On" should be "at."]
21. The nunnery had been run by a man with bad intentions, and when it was shut down, it had let to his arrest. [Note: "Let" should be "led."]
23. She bit it back and dug her teeth into the heel of her hand until the pain remade her. [??]
24. It was something that was said about her often in the nunnery though her appearance did not do anything to add value to her being. [Note: Missing comma before "though."]
25. For a moment, there was a look of sympathy in the maids’ eyes, but it was quickly replaced with something more appropriate. [Note: It is one maid, not several.]
25. Prudence knew that while the woman may have a heart, she still worked for her father, and her loyalty would lay where the salary came from. [Note: "Lay" should be "lie."]
26. The nerves were finally beginning to set in, and perhaps she was beginning realize that she was to marry in a few short hours. [Note: Missing "to."]
27. "No need to worry, My Lord," the maid said hastily. [Note: "My" should be lower case.] [Edited to add that "Lord" also should be lower case, per Georgette Heyer :)]
27. "See to it that you do quickly." [Note: Missing an "it."]
28. "They say the Duke is… He has died, Sir." [Note: "Sir" should be lower case.]
28. She looked at the maid then her hands and then her father. [Note: Missing commas before "then" and "and then."]
30. "Till then, it is no use to use to ruminate or get ready." [??]
31. "Who are you?" her father asked without delay and then second guessed himself. [Note: Should be "second-guessed."]
Ch 2
33. Foolishly, she had hoped to build a good relationship with them but the more she got to know them, the more she realized that such a thing was perhaps impossible. [Note: Missing comma before independent "but" clause.]
34. She had been trying her best to make herself pleasant, and not cause any trouble. [Note: Comma incorrect.]
34. "It’s silly to hear you refer yourself as that." [Note: Missing "to."]
34. "In fact, I was perfectly happy when you were not in the picture, and I was the only daughter in this house." [Note: Second comma is incorrect; that is a dependent clause.]
36. It would be an insult to the word conversation if she were to say that she was having one with Esther. [Note: Missing quotes around "conversation"; italics would also work.]
36. "I suppose she will have to be coached out of this awful habit though I anticipate that it will take a lot of patience." [Note: Missing comma before "though."]
38. "I do not wish to sound rude," Prudence started, hesitantly. "But it is the both of you speak to one another as though I am not even in the room." [??]
38. His words stung more that Prudence expected them to. [Note: "That" should be "than."]
39. "You wish for me to be…" Prudence struggled with saying the world out loud, "a maid?" [Note: "World" should be "word." Also, the comma should be a period, with ellipses inside the second set of quotation marks.]
39. "If you really wished for an exalted status, then you should not have lost your husband to be so recklessly." [Note: Should be "husband-to-be."]
41. "Do not wear I and do not touch the embroidery." [??]
(Interesting side note: As I write this review, GR has highlighted some of these typos as well! Why didn't the author's and/or editor's word processing program do the same?)
I just finished To Remarry a Duke, my first Hazel Linwood book, which I really enjoyed. It was well written and engaging. Any typos were few and far between. So I was bewildered by the multitude of typos in The Devout Duchess, especially after I saw one reviewer who was adamant that there were NO typos in this book, which I found funny. Maybe she was the editor?! (Just kidding.)
Apart from the typos, the dialogue was stilted, strange, and sometimes over the top. This didn't seem like it was written by the same author of To Remarry a Duke. I plan to try others by Ms. Linwood, though. Perhaps this was just a one-off.
From the first two chapters alone (page numbers precede):
Ch 1
17. She did not know how to tell him that she felt that way due a comment made by Sir Lionel. [Note: Missing "to."]
17. "Retire?" he repeated. She wondered if he was going to get angry at that though she still did not fully understand what purpose she served at the table. [Note: Sometimes there were commas before an independent "though" clause, and sometimes not, as if the editor couldn't make up his/her mind.]
18. "Not one that I can refuse and it lets that me that he is a man who knows what he wants." [??]
19. "This is a salvation, and you ought to be show more gratitude." [??]
19. "You are not being wed to anyone on that table." [Note: "On" should be "at."]
21. The nunnery had been run by a man with bad intentions, and when it was shut down, it had let to his arrest. [Note: "Let" should be "led."]
23. She bit it back and dug her teeth into the heel of her hand until the pain remade her. [??]
24. It was something that was said about her often in the nunnery though her appearance did not do anything to add value to her being. [Note: Missing comma before "though."]
25. For a moment, there was a look of sympathy in the maids’ eyes, but it was quickly replaced with something more appropriate. [Note: It is one maid, not several.]
25. Prudence knew that while the woman may have a heart, she still worked for her father, and her loyalty would lay where the salary came from. [Note: "Lay" should be "lie."]
26. The nerves were finally beginning to set in, and perhaps she was beginning realize that she was to marry in a few short hours. [Note: Missing "to."]
27. "No need to worry, My Lord," the maid said hastily. [Note: "My" should be lower case.] [Edited to add that "Lord" also should be lower case, per Georgette Heyer :)]
27. "See to it that you do quickly." [Note: Missing an "it."]
28. "They say the Duke is… He has died, Sir." [Note: "Sir" should be lower case.]
28. She looked at the maid then her hands and then her father. [Note: Missing commas before "then" and "and then."]
30. "Till then, it is no use to use to ruminate or get ready." [??]
31. "Who are you?" her father asked without delay and then second guessed himself. [Note: Should be "second-guessed."]
Ch 2
33. Foolishly, she had hoped to build a good relationship with them but the more she got to know them, the more she realized that such a thing was perhaps impossible. [Note: Missing comma before independent "but" clause.]
34. She had been trying her best to make herself pleasant, and not cause any trouble. [Note: Comma incorrect.]
34. "It’s silly to hear you refer yourself as that." [Note: Missing "to."]
34. "In fact, I was perfectly happy when you were not in the picture, and I was the only daughter in this house." [Note: Second comma is incorrect; that is a dependent clause.]
36. It would be an insult to the word conversation if she were to say that she was having one with Esther. [Note: Missing quotes around "conversation"; italics would also work.]
36. "I suppose she will have to be coached out of this awful habit though I anticipate that it will take a lot of patience." [Note: Missing comma before "though."]
38. "I do not wish to sound rude," Prudence started, hesitantly. "But it is the both of you speak to one another as though I am not even in the room." [??]
38. His words stung more that Prudence expected them to. [Note: "That" should be "than."]
39. "You wish for me to be…" Prudence struggled with saying the world out loud, "a maid?" [Note: "World" should be "word." Also, the comma should be a period, with ellipses inside the second set of quotation marks.]
39. "If you really wished for an exalted status, then you should not have lost your husband to be so recklessly." [Note: Should be "husband-to-be."]
41. "Do not wear I and do not touch the embroidery." [??]
(Interesting side note: As I write this review, GR has highlighted some of these typos as well! Why didn't the author's and/or editor's word processing program do the same?)
I just finished To Remarry a Duke, my first Hazel Linwood book, which I really enjoyed. It was well written and engaging. Any typos were few and far between. So I was bewildered by the multitude of typos in The Devout Duchess, especially after I saw one reviewer who was adamant that there were NO typos in this book, which I found funny. Maybe she was the editor?! (Just kidding.)
Apart from the typos, the dialogue was stilted, strange, and sometimes over the top. This didn't seem like it was written by the same author of To Remarry a Duke. I plan to try others by Ms. Linwood, though. Perhaps this was just a one-off.
January 23, 2026
I struggled in the beginning of this book and thought of not finishing it but I chose to press on and I'm glad I did. I like strong female protagonists in the books I read so Prudence's character was hard for me to sympathize with. It was bad enough she was raised in a convent, unwanted, then to come 'home' to a family that didn't want her. They were mean to her and I wanted so bad to defend her against them. But then along comes Duke Cassian. He wasn't perfect but he treated Prudence so much better than anyone else had with the exception of her friends. Just when I thought she'd have a better life the Dowager Duchess visits and berates her for existing. Cassian comes to the rescue and puts his mother in her place. This is when the book got better for me and I didn't want to put it down till the happily ever after with the extended epilogue.
January 7, 2026
Broken!
If ever there were two people more broken than these two, I would hate to see them! Prudence, the youngest of three children was sent to live at a nunnery because she was stubborn, and only returned home because the place closed. Only to be sold off to the highest bidder, because her father was broke! Duke Cassian becomes duke because his brother died. He was second son and went into the military and was injured many times, has scars to prove it! He honors his brother’s betrothal to Prudence, and so begins a story of his rules and coldness, but she has her friends from the nunnery. A sad tales with many twists but happy with the outcome!
If ever there were two people more broken than these two, I would hate to see them! Prudence, the youngest of three children was sent to live at a nunnery because she was stubborn, and only returned home because the place closed. Only to be sold off to the highest bidder, because her father was broke! Duke Cassian becomes duke because his brother died. He was second son and went into the military and was injured many times, has scars to prove it! He honors his brother’s betrothal to Prudence, and so begins a story of his rules and coldness, but she has her friends from the nunnery. A sad tales with many twists but happy with the outcome!
January 19, 2026
Unwanted and unloved
Prudence was exiled to a nunnery after her mother died. When the nunnery was closed she returned to an unwelcoming family and a judgemental Ton. Cassian, a second son, returned from war when his brother died. Prudence's father arranged her marriage to Cassian's brother, but married Cassian after her fiance died. Cassian was distant and cold, and their marriage was one of convenience. A hostile mother-in-law and an unknown enemy challenged their marriage and future. This was a good read with emotionally damaged characters who needed to find hope and peace as well as their place in the world.
Prudence was exiled to a nunnery after her mother died. When the nunnery was closed she returned to an unwelcoming family and a judgemental Ton. Cassian, a second son, returned from war when his brother died. Prudence's father arranged her marriage to Cassian's brother, but married Cassian after her fiance died. Cassian was distant and cold, and their marriage was one of convenience. A hostile mother-in-law and an unknown enemy challenged their marriage and future. This was a good read with emotionally damaged characters who needed to find hope and peace as well as their place in the world.
January 4, 2026
I was disappointed
There were so many unanswered questions that lead the reader to conclude that this was thrown together. Prudence spent her early years in a nunnery that was closed under a cloud. Why? Her father despises her, and is broke, yet ‘sells’ or betroths her to a duke, rather than give her sister, whom he loves, this honor. Morning of the wedding, the duke mysteriously dies. The following day his brother, the new duke, shows up to marry her?!?!
This devout duchess never prays, never goes to. Church, never mentions God. 😔
There were so many unanswered questions that lead the reader to conclude that this was thrown together. Prudence spent her early years in a nunnery that was closed under a cloud. Why? Her father despises her, and is broke, yet ‘sells’ or betroths her to a duke, rather than give her sister, whom he loves, this honor. Morning of the wedding, the duke mysteriously dies. The following day his brother, the new duke, shows up to marry her?!?!
This devout duchess never prays, never goes to. Church, never mentions God. 😔
January 28, 2026
A great emotional story between a duke and his selected bride. Both have crutches they carry from their past. But it’s the learning and accepting of what life has dealt them, and how their current lives need to learn how to cope with their fate. A well written story, by one of my favorite authors who rarely disappoints. She easily shows the characters’ crosses they each carry defining who they are, as they eventually learn how they fit together life a glove, and reach their HEA. I received a complimentary ARC, but I am voluntarily offering my personal opinion.
December 31, 2025
Prudence
Wonderful read with delightful characters. Cassian and Penelope are through together and have to fight their way to happiness and understanding. Overbearing parents have ruined their lives and they are uncovering who they really are and learning to live for themselves. Attempted murder brings their life to a grinding stop making them reevaluate what matters the most. Highly recommend this book.!
Wonderful read with delightful characters. Cassian and Penelope are through together and have to fight their way to happiness and understanding. Overbearing parents have ruined their lives and they are uncovering who they really are and learning to live for themselves. Attempted murder brings their life to a grinding stop making them reevaluate what matters the most. Highly recommend this book.!
January 2, 2026
Unwanted by Family/A Proposal..
Lady Prudence has been unwanted as a child & sent away. Now she returns home with ill regards again. But a proposal comes in but there’s also a tragedy. But something else is in the works but there’s also
A devious person seeking to harm another.
Lady Prudence has been unwanted as a child & sent away. Now she returns home with ill regards again. But a proposal comes in but there’s also a tragedy. But something else is in the works but there’s also
A devious person seeking to harm another.
January 2, 2026
Families can ruin their children's lives if allowed.
This is a very interesting story with both main characters having been abused by their families. Not only will the book hold one's interest but it has a surprise feature toward the end. Everyone should enjoy this book.
This is a very interesting story with both main characters having been abused by their families. Not only will the book hold one's interest but it has a surprise feature toward the end. Everyone should enjoy this book.
January 4, 2026
This was a great book. It was a little too much gazing and self sacrificing but still well written. I loved every part of this book. My favorite part is it was cleanly written without graphic content.
January 20, 2026
Juju
I enjoyed this book very much. It was easy to read and there were NO typos. I liked the characters. I loved the ending because I love happy endings.
I enjoyed this book very much. It was easy to read and there were NO typos. I liked the characters. I loved the ending because I love happy endings.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews