Dealing with the Duchess

Mayfair Brides #1

by J.R. Salisbury

The Duchess of Bentley is just out of mourning. As a widow, she has certain freedoms other women do not. But she has neither the time nor inclination to look for dalliance. She’s much too busy overseeing the very special properties left to her by the late duke—including the elite gaming hell known as Dante’s Inferno.

Until another nobleman returns to London and reminds her that she is still a young, passionate woman.

The Duke of Evermont, has returned from his sugar plantations in the Caribbean. His life is full running his estates and seeing to his investments. The last thing he’s searching for is a wife. That is until he sees Eleanor again, and other society beauties fade in comparison.
The last time he saw her, Eleanor was walking down the aisle to another man. This time, Evermont is determined not to let the beautiful and vibrant lady slip through his hands.
Fortunately for him, the duchess turns to him for help—and he’s more than willing to sweep her under his ducal cloak of protection. Whether his assistance is required in shielding her from members of society foolish enough to gamble away their fortunes, or from the heartless schemes of her own father—Evermont will do what it takes to show her their future together is a sure thing.

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical, Romance, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Regency, Amazon

298 pages, ebook

First published April 15, 2016

About the author

I've always been a creative individual. Writing is just a facet of that creativity...

My careers in public relations in and around the entertainment industry, photography, editing, artist management, modeling and special event planning all elevated my passion for writing, not to mention gave me a treasure trove for story lines.

I write historical romance (as JR Salisbury) and contemporary (as Jamie Salisbury) I am fortunate enough that writing (and marketing of said product(s)) is my full-time job, although I always have one or two other projects going at the same time.

I now live in a suburb of Atlanta when I'm not in the UK. Some of my other interests include photography, equestrianism, reading, and of course, travel.

I sincerely hope my writing will entertain, enlighten, and inspire others to pick up the pen and pursue their own dreams. I love to be contacted by readers, writers, and history buffs.

Reviews

[Rainelle]

Dealing With The Duke, by J. R. Salisbury is an awesome book. I loved reading this book and I know that readers will enjoy reading it too. J. R. Salisbury shows off her talented writing skills in this book. She writes this romantic love story with suspenseful drama and passionate love affairs that has the reader at the edge of their seat. J. R.’s writing is easy to read and moves swiftly through the book.
Her writing is not dull, nor does it stall. The dialogue between the characters carries on with ease and understanding from the reader. I love that she did not use words that would detour the reader from the main focus of the story. J. R. chose a perfect story plot that fits Eleanor and Cameron. In fact, there are three plots that are written into this story.
Each one J.R. found a way to keep each story separated. The story plots draws the reader into the world of family drama, mystery and suspense. This helps the reader from getting lost or confused In the story. Eleanor and Cameron’s love story is not the usual romantic love story that readers would read. Eleanor is a Duchess and Cameron is a Duke, who both later in their years find one another again.
Eleanor is a strong independent widow who knows how take care of herself and her family, while running two businesses in a world of men. People would tell her that it’s not right that a woman should be mixed in a mans world. Eleanor would charge right through that statement and stomp all over it, while Cameron stood by with a big grin on his face.
Cameron feels very proud to have this woman in his life and he loves her for who she is and what she stands for. From her mother, to her brother Alec and her sister Prudence. Eleanor feels it’s her duty to take care of her family. Going back to the day Eleanor’s father has brought scandal to the family. Eleanor has fought tooth and nail to bring her family back from this humiliation.
With Cameron standing by her side. Cameron is a Duke, who stayed away for two years. Giving Eleanor the respect of being a recently married woman. But when Cameron hears that she is a widow he comes back to try and rekindle the love that he has for her. And oh boy, when they come together, talk about rekindling.
Their rekindling is a whole inferno. While the two sort out the danger that darkens Eleanor’s family doorstep. Cameron and Eleanor steal some intimate happy playtime together. These two give a whole new meaning to the word newlyweds. If it wasn’t in the carriage it was the den.
If it wasn’t the den, it was the parlor. I think once or twice they made it to the bedroom. But oh my. They were like rabbits! Clearly these two are meant for each other.
Yes, I recommend this book book with two snaps. A standing ovation and a twist that will leave you shocked at the end of the book. Until next time my fellow readers... read on! I voluntary reviewed this ARC after receiving a free gifted copy.

[Patricia]

Too much sex

I received this book free from one of the book sites I don't remember which one! This is my honest and voluntary review.

What happened to the time piece? Why so many sex scenes? Too many mysteries left unsolved and too many threads left hanging.

[Phoenix77]

Eleanor, Duchess of Bentley has thrown off her widow’s weeds in time to help her sister Prudence make her début in London. Knowing that her family’s respectability hangs by a thread due to their father’s gambling problems, Eleanor hopes that her presence will help Prudence make a good match. It helps their situation that Eleanor has inside information about her father’s addiction because she is part owner of the only club in London that will still give the Duke of Wexwood credit, Dante’s Inferno. Without letting her family know the extent of their father’s debt she has carefully constructed a safety net around the duke by holding all of his letters and only allowing him to gamble against the house. It’s an almost daily struggle to contain his outlandish betting, but Eleanor cannot let her father lose everything and sacrifice her family’s future. Seeing Prudence married would secure her future before their father can make a bigger mistake.

Attending their first ball of the season, Eleanor is quickly frustrated by her sister’s insistence that their father has already secured a betrothal for her to the long-absent Duke of Evermont. Eleanor didn’t even realize her old friend Cameron Dudley had returned from the Caribbean but she is certain he is not interested in Prudence, nor would he have ever spoken to their father. Hoping to warn Cameron of Prudence’s ideas before they become gossip Eleanor makes her way to his side and spends a few quiet moments alone to discuss matters. Amazingly the connection she and Cameron shared long ago is just as strong even after years of separation. Her attraction to him is still there as well, with an intensity that Eleanor had never felt with her late husband.

Please read the full review at Romantic Historical Reviews

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/8/2019)! 🎁

[Kathy Davie]

First in the Mayfair Brides historical romance series set in Regency London and revolving around the widowed Eleanor, Dowager Duchess of Bentley, and Cameron, the Duke of Evermont.

My Take
Omigod, ROFLMAO, I just read that "[t]his book has been revised, rewritten and reedited!" Salisbury needs to get her money back!

Oh, Salisbury does have an interesting concept with a strong, intelligent female protagonist and an unusually open male protagonist, and that's the best I can say. I do like that Eleanor is plotting how to save her mother and siblings AND the family fortune. It's a clever idea.

It was sweet that Eleanor and Cameron managed to hook back up — no, it's not a giveaway, as Salisbury doesn't manage any tension in the two of them getting back together, which got me to wondering when the real point of the book would appear. Part of the lack of tension may come from Salisbury using third person dual protagonist point-of-view from Eleanor's and Cameron's perspectives.

I'm not quite sure if Salisbury is creating her own England or if her scattershot attention to the manners, mores, and culture of the time period are a lack of knowledge. It still takes me aback to read of noblemen who are obviously in business, let alone a widowed countess who works in an auction house unpacking artwork, etc. Alec has some sort of business, but I don't recall Salisbury saying what it is. It is something he works at on a daily basis, which certainly doesn't fit the English concept of nobles engaging in trade. As for Eaton and their entrance exams . . . Hmm, I wonder if the college is located in Surry.

If Dealing with the Duchess was supposed to be an alternate world history, Salisbury should have done more to make it obvious . . . Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series does a nice job of blending Victorian England with her steampunk world.

It's interesting that Eleanor doesn't have any footmen to accompany her when she goes out. We never do learn why Eleanor's mother does such an aboutface over her husband losing their estates. How exactly did Daddykins get inside Cam's London house? That Prudence is such a bitch! I do wish Salisbury had done more to "explain" her aboutface. And Eleanor pays her lawyer, William, so little that he has to moonlight as the manager of the gambling club she owns.

Lololol, oh man, uh-huh, I can see that not being fluent in the language would make a difference in knowing what colors and fabrics would look good on someone . . . on the part of the dressmaker...*snicker*...omigod, it's so bad. Then Eleanor "realizes" the dressmaker she's seeing thinks she's Cameron's mistress. Oh. Yeah. I'm sure Cameron never said a word about his wife wanting some gowns. God forbid they should introduce themselves to the dressmaker. Oy.

What is with Eleanor's family. They're blaming Dante's Inferno for winning their father's last bits of real estate when it's their father who chose to gamble and then lost them. Prudence actually thinks she can make a living sewing? And the whole response is that Eleanor and Cameron will ensure she'll be fine?

I thought ladies wore their gloves all the time when they were outside their homes? As for gambling hells, why is it such a big deal if another club is opening up? The characters are acting as if they'll go under if the club opens. London had a number of places . . . mmm, sorry, the real London had a number of places for nobility to gamble. Why does Eleanor have such a difficult time following her own advice?

While it makes sense that Eleanor's staff will be discreet, I really don't see English nobles baring their dirty laundry to the police.

Ahhh, we find out why Cameron left for the West Indies so suddenly. I'm not sure how it is that Eleanor forgot about the Scottish estate when the family lawyers had already mentioned it.

Aww, love. Now if only Salisbury had managed other ways to say it instead of in these short choppy sentences. As for hiding her pregnancy, how ever does she manage this?

Oh, jesus. This was so bad. Short sentences. All tell and no show. Steps for actions that made no sense. There is no way I'll be reading any more of this series. Shudder.

The Story
Eleanor's father is wasting the family fortune on his gambling, which has the clever Eleanor plotting how to save it.

The Characters
Eleanor is the widowed Duchess of Bentley who had only been married to Grayson, the ailing duke, for four years. Mimi is her loyal lady's maid. Nigel is her butler. Mrs Ryan is the housekeeper. Lord William is Eleanor's lawyer as well as the manager of her gambling club, Dante's Inferno. Catherine is William's wife. The Countess is a ship in which William and Grayson were partners. The Bailey Art Emporium is an art business and auction house that Grayson established.

The seventeen-year-old Prudence is Eleanor's young, selfish sister. Alec, Lord Wexwood, is their brother, the heir. Their father, the Duke of Wexwood, is an absolute, misogynistic, selfish jerk who doesn't consider his family at all. Their mother is a drama queen. Somerset is the family home in the country. Essex and Abbott are the family lawyers.

Cameron Dudley, Duke of Evermont, the childhood friend of the Wexwoods (we never do learn what their actual last name is), has just returned from the family sugar plantations. James Dudley is his younger brother. Their cousin Maggie writes a gossip column. Evermont Castle in Somerset is the family home that burned down. They have another country home in Surrey, or is it Surry?

Newton is the Earl of Marlborough's eldest son. Lady Rebecca, the widowed Countess of Devonshire, works for Bailey's. Mary, a friend of Eleanor's, is married to Edward Elliot, the Earl of Dunlap and/or Bingham. Thomas is Edward's brother. I guess Edward also has a brother named Philip.

The Earl and Countess of Pembroke are hosting that first party. Henry Bailey is the new Duke of Bentley, a cousin of Grayson's. Vicar Brown will marry them. Reginald Cole is a reporter. The Duke of Northshire is to marry Lady Charlotte Andrews. Count LeBlanc hosts a private card game he intends to parlay into a gambling club, the King of Hearts, in partnership with Lady Montgomery, a countess. Peter Henlein invented the early pocket watch. Lord Wellington is a viscount interested in a cargo of spice. Rose is a friend of Prudence's. I'm guessing the truth about Guy Dumas, the eclectic investor/collector, will eventually come out. Sergeant Bailey and Constable Miles investigate the attack. Mortimer Green is an inspector with Scotland Yard.

The Cover and Title
The cover is quite forward, lol, as the brown-haired Eleanor, dressed in a cheerful sky blue skirt with tons of yardage, a white blouse with neatly ruffled neckline and a navy spencer jacket outlined in gold braid, cocks a pose, a gold mirror held up in one hand with the other hand on her hip, and Eleanor staring out at us in challenge. The background is a drawing room with beige damask wallpaper, a gold-framed screen on the right and a tapestry on the left above a reddish table top on which sits a dark blue cachepot with pink and white flowers. A narrow navy banner spans the cover just above Eleanor's knees with a gold label presenting the series information in a rust color. Below that is a much taller and more transparent navy banner with the title in an embossed scriptish serif in a gradating gold. Below that at the bottom is a gray transparent banner with the author's name in navy.

The title is too true, for you will be Dealing with the Duchess.

[Joan]

DNF at 20% when the 'bedroom antics' began.

I struggled with this - the writing is okay but it doesn't read like a Regency Romance - Eleanor is far too familiar with men and some of the language comes across as modern.

I really didn't like this part: (Eleanor is looking at a woman called Mary)Although she was a tall, thin woman with mousey blonde hair, her gown and jewels made one quickly forget what a plain woman she was.

That was SO bitchy! And unnecessary as well. It did nothing but show Eleanor as a woman who judges others by their clothing and jewellery. It was unpleasant and cruel and I lost any respect for Eleanor at that moment.

I didn't feel 'immersed' in the era at any point while reading, to the extent where I was looking out for anachronisms and when the sex scenes started I gave up.

I understand that this novel has been 'revised, rewritten and reedited' so why was Cameron's university referred to as 'Eaton' ? And if this was a reference to an imaginary university, it was a little crass to have virtually the same name as 'Eton' ;)

This book Dealing With The Duchess , from what I can tell, is the same novel.

[Laura]

I liked the book and the characters. However, it felt like parts of the book were missing. In the beginning of the book there was a reference to how Eleanor and Cameron were childhood friends. Then, he said something about how he waited for her (she was forced to marry a much older man by her father). There wasn’t a developed backstory. It was the same with the pocket watch that was consigned to Alex to be auctioned. Cameron visited a guy in Paris to verify authenticity, after the visit, Cameron warned Alex that the watch may be stolen, but nothing further happened. Was the watch connected to Eleanor’s father? These are details that seemed to be edited out. The book could have been longer.

[Susan Walker]

I enjoyed this period romance. It has a strong female lead and will keep the reader entertained.

[Lenna Wright]

This kept my attention for the most part but some parts were repeated, like how her father lost it all and so on.
Childhood friends, first loves, Cam wanted to marry Eleanor but her father sold her to her first husband. Luckily her husband loved her and saw her taken care of from business he owned that she inherited after he passed on. One said business is a gambling hell and is the place where her father lost everything but his title. Now that’s the start of what happens to Eleanor and her young brother, their baby sister and their mother reputation in society. U til the truth of who actually owns Dantes infernal and more ruin.
Cam came back to London before the old duke past away and left Eleanor widowed, and also he waited until her year mourning was done before he left Eleanor knew he was there and wanting her. But with her father’s disastrous deeds and people snooping for news and Eleanor alone without protection with get Cam pursuing El into marriage. But will her father cause more heartache for her family or will other means that will cause more trouble...

[Carol Ann]

Second chance for love.

After being widowed and spending the required morning Eleanor became reacquainted with her first love. At this time Cameron was already a Duke. Her first husband was an elderly Duke who taught her how to take care of the businesses that he left for her to keep her support it in the way she was a custom to being treated d. Her family had several problems with a papa who gambled away the family money and the family properties. Cameron and Eleanor worked very hard to help Allen or his family back onto their feet. This was a lovely love story of second chances. I enjoyed the story very much and I recommend it.

[Helen]

This was fine. A simple romance. Cameron and Eleanor were childhood friends and then wished to marry. However, her father married her off to an older man who had more money. After her husband's death, Eleanor was left well off and with good business sense. Her father however....Grr.

It was reasonably well written, seemingly the start of a new series. I enjoyed it, but I'm not planning to buy any of the next books.

I did feel that some of the more adult happenings in the book were surprising and I didn't really like them! I don't mind smut in novels, I just was surprised by some of the events in this story.

[Nancy]

Eleanor was married to the Duke of Bentley and he taught her about business and left her two businesses to support herself when he was gone. Now she is out of mourning and there is the Duke of Evermont who she has known since they were children. Cameron wants to marry right away before he should lose her again. One of her businesses is a gambling hell which her father has lost his money and property in. She takes care of her mother and sister with her brother getting the money and property their father lost. Eleanor is lucky to have Cameron at her side through all of this.

[Annette]

This regency story was well written but I thought the everyday details were a bit mundane. There were too many sex scenes which caused me to skip over them after a time. The theme was on point though regarding a strong female character in Eleanor and Cameron was a well tempered gentleman who respected her decisions and abilities. This was not heard of during this period because women had no rights. I will read book two to see what happens to Eleanor’s brother, Alec.

[Susan]

A very enjoyable read. Both main characters had very strong personalities and life circumstances had driven them apart but when they found each other again they were definitely a “perfect match”. True love was the center of their relationship.
Family drama provided interesting subplots and kept the reader’s attention. My only negative was the few loose ends such as the mysterious timepiece, a storyline introduced but never resolved.

[Caro]

This was a good book. I enjoyed the characters and their personalities. There were a few twists and turns, some hardship, strength, courage, emotions, some steaminess and a good ending. I like reading this but it probably won't be a re-read. Great for anytime and something to read. The lazy-day sort.

[Sandi]

Dealing With The Success #1

I'm glad to see that this author chose to portray the characters as though they were real people who were human. Making mistakes in life, having a disfunctional family,
, behaving in a way that went against society's laws, in others words enjoying life to the fullest. Great read, going for my second book now.

[Lori]

The Duke I Loved Forevermore

Hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I have. I don't like that Eleanors father gambled away everything he owned. But as luck would have it Eleanor owned the place where he lost it all. So she was keeping it safe for her brother. So read to see what happens.

[Sheila Melle]

Not so interesting

I was disappointed in the storyline as I felt there should have been a better conclusion on some major points. There was no development on the story of the antique timepiece and there was no resolve on the father's murder/death.

[Spokie]

An interesting view of life in London during the reign of Queen Victoria. It clearly shows the irrational prejudices of the so called ton and the restrictions placed on ladies by society. I thoroughly enjoyed the character of the Duke of Evermont and the way he handled things.

[Susan]

Great story starting out, but too many loose ends at end of story. Unsolved murder, unsolved timepiece issues with Mr Dumas, etc. it’s is as though the author realized she was out of pages, and just chopped off the ending with a baby.

[Marlene]

Who killed the Duke?

Still don't know who killed Eleanor father..or why her sister Prudence ran away. Two cliffhangers. Why? I did like the pace but the ending was disjointed and open.

[Zena]

A Really Great Story!
I thoroughly enjoyed this second chances story about Eleanor and Cameron with all their wonderful displays of loving and caring and the way they freely helped each other. Almost too good to be true, but wonderful to read about.
Most definitely a book to read and recommend!

[Barbara A. Faw]

Really good story but cover picture didn't seem to be a plus for the book.

[Marilyn]

Good

This is one that brings back in time the way royalty excepted the actions of others and they were very vendective

[Mervin Barrett]

Classic

This was a classic romance story. It did have mystery added. The sex was quite often and described in detail. Not for a faint heart! The story was written well.

[Queen Talk Talk]

A second chance love story.

The plot went in sudden and unexpected turns making it difficult to finish. Some things could have been researched better. There were sexy times.

[Nicole]

Not true to the period — there is too much sex. Also, so much was left unresolved. The crime remained open, and the significance of the time piece was unexplained.
2.5 stars.

[Maral]

Good period story

Liked the book. Read in one sitting. Good mystery and happy ever after. I liked the strong woman aspect of the story.

[Patricia Perez]

First time

This is the first time I read this author.😁 I enjoyed the books 📚📚and I am getting ready to start book two. Great story. A definite must read.Get your copy today.😁

[Aimee Alexander]

Very good book

I really enjoyed this story. It almost seemed as tho it could have been real. Would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good love story.