The Perilous Quest of the Rejected Duchess

by Emma Linfield

First one fails, the other goes awry...
Whatever the cost, the Duke must die…

The broken pocket watch she tries to steal from a nobleman proves to be the ticket to a new life for Miss Regina Buxton, the fair daughter of a blacksmith and a master in the art of daggers. Against all odds, she finds employment as a maid in the Duke of Lyndon’s household.

Benjamin Allen, the dashing Duke of Lyndon, is enamored by the new servant and her enigmatic aura and intrigued by her mysterious past. But when an attempt against his life is made, all clues lead to her.

On a quest to prove her innocence and save the Duke of Lyndon, Regina has only ten days to unmask the true monster before he makes his final move.

Genres: Historical Romance

355 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 19, 2019

About the author

Emma Linfield has always been passionate about historical romances. Ever fascinated with the world of Regency England and being utmost inspired by Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s work, she decided she wanted to write her own stories. Stories of love and tradition being mixed in the most appealing way for every hopeless romantic, much like herself.

Born and raised in Southern California, Emma Linfield has a degree in Creative Writing and English Literature, and she has been working as a freelance writer for the past 10 years. When she isn’t writing, Emma loves spending her time with her own prince charming and two beautiful children, all the while enjoying the famous Californian sun and ocean.

So, hop on to this exciting journey of Dukes, Earls and true love with Emma and find pleasure in the old fashioned world of Regency - an Era of pure romance, elegance and high fashion!

(Source: Official Website)

Reviews

[Zubee · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars
Damsel in distress, beta H and knight in shining armor, alpha h
I liked that H was a nice man but he was too beta for my tastes. h makes more effort but she has more page time with the supporting characters than H
H and h meet when she tries to steal with him, he gives her a job at his house and they take their respective roles of master and servant. He treats her with honor; there are no attempts to seduce her but they become good friends ... and eventually fall in love ...
Then she is accused of stealing and trying to kill him and is turned out of the house ... there is an attempt to kill her and H finds her after she has been shot; she is said to be dead the next day when the local magistrate plans to arrest her ...
After they separate due to misunderstandings, injured and believed to be dead h spends time sneaking around and trying to save H's life while he goes to visit his friend and from there goes to court another woman ... while she tries to save his life he is making kissy faces at someone else; he is very very sad and needs to take up with a suitable woman to come out of the doldrums... and that is when I lost interest. I struggled to read from that point onwards.
The start was good and I believed in the bond they were building but after she is injured and he doesn't attempt to stop the magistrate from arresting her, (knowing she is on her death bed), I lost all patience for him. And once he goes away to his friends house, he is an absentee H until the author needs to bring him in; then he is with OW, making friends and slowly courting her ...
I did complete and the 1.5 stars is for the nice beginning ... this one just didn't work for me ...

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Adopted daughter of a blacksmith, Regina Buxton was orphaned by the deaths of her parents, a similarly orphaned parish minister and his wife. She has learned the art of blacksmithing at her adoptive father's side, but due to his wife's disdain for her, she hasn't learned any of the usual feminine skills. With the untimely death of her adoptive father Regina is left in the care of his hateful wife, Catherine, who seeks to arrange her marriage to a much older man, causing Regina to flee. She soon finds herself essentially starving and resorts to thieving, but when she attempts to steal a watch from the wrong man she is caught. Of course, this particular man turns out to be Benjamin Allen, the Duke of Lyndon, who offers her a job as a maid in his house. Benjamin believes himself ill-suited to his new role as duke and is still mourning his beloved father's death. He has been mostly uninterested in social contact beyond that of his uncle and his best friend, but finds himself intrigued by the little thief. The two grow rather inappropriately close, but when Regina overhears treachery against the duke she fears for her own life and wonders if he'll believe her as it implicates someone close to him.

I was not a fan of this hero. He was weak and very quick the believe the worst of the heroine he was supposedly in love with; he even begins to move on to another lady. That just didn't jive for me with his supposed love for Regina.

The premise of this novel was set up very rapidly and felt a bit rushed to me. There were several shifts in point of view that I found rather distracting. The author demonstrates a broad vocabulary, which I appreciated, though it is perhaps a bit stilted in some of the dialogue. Even if she was not raised as a servant, Regina was still not from the nobility or even the gentry, so the way she spoke to the duke, especially after becoming a servant in his employ, was just not believable. There's also an awful lot of telling rather than showing and this explicit explanation got a bit tedious. This plot was interesting and promising, but a bit convoluted and it tended to drag on and lag a bit with many scenes that did nothing to actually advance the plot. The overall plot is intriguing, but it needed a bit more pep to it to keep me engaged.

I received an ARC in exchange for a review. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Space Cowgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love💘 is Thicker Than Blood

Regency Era Romance💕 and Suspense
Regina💃 is an orphan, then orphaned again in a 🔥fire that kills her adopted parents. She finds a great new home with the blacksmith who saved her from the 🔥fire.

He teaches her his trade and is a great father to her, but his wife resents the time he spends with Regina. When Regina's father dies of a stroke, his wife really begins to mistreat her. The final blow is to try to marry her off to an older man in the village in return for money. Regina runs away.
For a while she has to become a petty thief to survive. No one will hire a woman blacksmith! She finally turns to highway robbery with her daggers she has forged.
The first man she tries to rob is Benjamin, the Duke of Lyndon. He foils her attempt, but instead of having her arrested, he gives her a job!

ARC Provided by Author📕
I also got the book for $.99 from Amazon

This is a long, involved, emotional, but satisfying and well written romance. I loved the book📕 and read it straight through because I had to find out who was trying to kill the Duke! Recommend!

[Laila Viking · Rating 3 out of 5]

A regency romance with drama, action, love, mystery and twists. I liked the storyline and plot. I would have liked the hero to be a bit stronger because that would have suited the heroin better. The story is sometimes rushed and caused some lacks in depth. Especially the story was drawn a bit too long.
But it is a nice and enjoyable read that I can recommend to others.

[Lynelle Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique and adventurous story, set in the regency period of England.

The Perilous Quest of the Rejected Duchess is part of a box-set I downloaded a while back. This is definitely a must read if you live a good dose of adventure, mystery, and romance.

Besides the on-the-nose writing and the way too many cliches, the story was impressive.

When Regina Buxton met the Duke of Lyndon, Benjamin Allen, she did not know of the changes it would bring into her life. Being an orphan and thief, she had trouble making a living with thievery, but when she tried her hand as a highway thief, her life changed explicitly.

Fleeing from a stepmother who sold her to an unsavory character, this skilled blacksmith found herself on the streets, unsure of where to go. Once her path crossed with that of the Duke, she ended up in his servitude as a scullery maid. Here she was confronted with love, greed, and jealousy. When her life took another turn, she had a choice to make.

Her bravery and courage knew no bounds as she fought for the man of her heart. Friendships came in all forms and sizes and with her ability to trust the right people, she could face death's peril.

A fast-paced story with the right amount of suspense to turn the pages as you wonder who the culprits are and how Regina and her friends would unveil the villain's treachery.

Benjamin himself could have benefitted by more courage. His view was so easily manipulated by those closest to him, he could not see what was right in front of him. No matter how good a duke he was, caring for his people, he was too easily succumb in his own grief to recognise the dangerous around him. It took one woman to finally open his eyes.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An famous warrior uncle, an orphaned girl who is fleeing an arranged marriage, a young Duke barely over mourning his father’s sudden accidental death, all meet up in this intriguing story of love nearly lost!
Regina Burton, an orphan taken in by a blacksmith and his wife, finds herself again bereft of a loving parent with the death of the blacksmith. His wife has never allowed Regina to call her mother, only Mistress Smith, and now she finds herself the servant of Mistress Smith, who intends to sell her off along with the blacksmithing business. Rather than face a future not of her choosing, Regina runs away, disguised as a boy. Life is difficult, and stealing supplies some of her needs, until she attempts theft from the wrong man, the Duke of Landon! After catching her in the act, and overcoming her, he takes pity on her and offers her employment in his estate, as a lowly scullery maid. Grateful for a position and a home, she accepts. Will Regina clean up her life and become an honest worker, leaving thievery behind? Will her skills as a blacksmith ever be appreciated? Will she be able to make a good life for herself out of the shambles her life has become?
CRITIQUE: Excellent storyline, with the H & h both appealing characters. Many unexpected events keep the reader on their toes, and the pages turning. This clean book, with it’s tantalizing mysteries, will appeal to readers of all ages!
I received a free copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma Linfield is fast becoming one of my favorite authors of historical romances! Seriously if you have not read any and you are a fan of this genre (or even if you aren't) you just have to read at least one-bet you get hooked like I am!

Regina Buxton, a very usual woman, was adopted when she was very young. Both her parents died in a fire--she was saved. Her adoptive father loved her and she loved him--the mother was a completely different story. After her father died Regina decided to run away. The fact that she was an apprentice to her father as a blacksmith did not help--and she was not taught anything that women were supposed to know by the mother.

In order to survive she took to stealing-although it was entirely against her nature--One day she attempted to steal the pocket watch of the Duke of Lydon--Luckily for her he discovered that she was a female and decided to give her a place at his estate working at whatever she could do.

The Duke had to keep saving her life--and eventually both fell in love with the other--but it was not done--a Duke could not marry
a commoner--

Meanwhile someone was trying to kill the Duke? Regina over heard the plan and then had to fear for her own life.

So who was trying to kill off the Duke and why? Would true love ever happen between these two? Read this novel to find out!

I mentioned this before--but after you finish the book you are invited to read a short piece about what goes on after the book ends--this is a truly great idea in my opinion!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The story of love that conquers class and death. The lead female character is Miss Regina Buxton. She is the adopted daughter of blacksmith Mark Smith. Mark taught Regina many things. He trained her to be a blacksmith and how to use and throw knives. When Mark died, his widow Catherine was forcing Regina into an arranged marriage with an elderly man. She ran away. She did many things to survive of which caused her great shame. Then she tried to rob a nobleman and failed. The man was Lord Benjamin Allen, Duke of Lyndon. Instead of turning her into the authorities he employed her at his home. This is the point in the story when people became suspect, framed for and accused of thievery, murder and attempted murder. Not only that but it was discovered that there was a plot to kill the Duke. This is a suspenseful, edge of your seat, page turning story full of intrigue and danger. An excellent read and I highly recommend it. I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[HEATHER · Rating 3 out of 5]

Customer Review
Sewsummore
Who does a Duke marry?
January 25, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
This was an unusual story set in a time when a Duke was expected to marry a woman of noble birth. Regina was the minister's daughter who had been adopted by a blacksmith after her parent's death. Benjamin, Duke of Lyndon was a nobleman who did not want to be a Duke, instead he wished to become a soldier. His uncle resented the fact he was the second son and killed his brother and attempted to kill the current Duke, but failed thanks to Regina and his faithful staff. This as a twisted story full of danger for the Duke and Regina, I found it hard to accept the fact that they fell in love in the story as it was not acceptable during this time period, for someone to do so and then not utterly reject them was too much in my opinion. There was an eventual happy ending to the story however unbelievable as it seemed.
received a free ARC copy of this book and have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed this book.

[Elaine Breault · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perilous Quest is correct Rejected Duchess not as much

Sorry I wrote this whole review and now have to do it all over again! It is annoying and now I am not sure I can or want to try to recap it all! This grates sorry!

This is an adventurous tale of two star crossed lovers and in this case our hero is the heroine in fact. A strong female lead with an cast of other strong female supporting cast mates. Our Duke is tormented by things that have happened in the last year and finds our heroine is a very surprising breath of fresh air including an intriguing introduction between the two.

We have a great supporting cast with a couple of dastardly villians of both male and female persuations. The rest are basically all good and supportive of our two wanna be lovers.

Mystery, intrigue, adventure and some scheming is definitely involved with a few disguises along the way.

You should enjoy wanting to read this tale until the end to see if justice prevails and is there going to be an HEA after all given life threatening situations abound on the way.

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

ONE CAPTIVATING DELIGHT!!!

Man, I kid you not. Emma can bring the house down. This is just another example of how talented and insightful she is. She brings the Regency Era alive with all the angst and disgust the nobility can be. Talk about short sighted. This is a interesting read that can make you cry, laugh and fall in love. The characters are well developed and believable. Personalities have a vast array of individuality with qualities and traits that balance out perfectly. They each play off one another in such a sycranized way they take on a life of their own. The scenes are graphic and descriptive it paints a fantastic backdrop that really makes the storyline pop. A few twists and turns and unexpected surprises that keeps the suspense going and your attention captured by the tale. Emma really knows how to bring a read life flawlessly. Fantastic job Emma, thanks for sharing this awesome read with us.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regina Buxton was adopted by the village blacksmith. He taught her his trade and how to defend herself. He passed on when she was 12. At 17 her step-mother tried to marry her off to an older man. Regina ran away. She had to take care of herself. She tried to steal a pocket watch from the Duke of Lyndon. He gives her a break and hires her to work at his home. There is a plot to kill the Duke. Regina finds out who is behind it and reveals his name. But the guilty cad accuses Regina and the Duke believes him. He send Regina away.
Romance and suspense, surprises, some twists and turns will keep you turning the pages. Will the Duke find out who the guilty party really is? Will the Duke and Reginia get back together? Will the difference in class be overlooked? This story is well thought out and well written. Characters are fleshed out.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book and I'm voluntarily posting a review. My opinion is entirely my own.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Regina Buxton's birth parents died in a tragic fire, she is adopted by the local blacksmith, who saved her from the fire. She loves spending time with the blacksmith, who taught her his trade since he had no sons, or any other children. When he suddenly dies, she is left with his widow, who makes her life miserable. One day, the widow told her she had sold the blacksmith business and her to a man Regina did not like. When Regina refuses to marry the man, she is locked in a closet. But she escapes and flees her childhood home. To survive she steals and picks pockets. One day she tried to steal from Benjamin Allen, the dashing Duke of Lyndon, who offers her a job. Will Regina be able to overcome her past and find love? Will Benjamin be able forgive her for how they first met? This is a good book which I enjoyed, even though it was a bit slow. It is clean and wholesome. I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion.

[Elizabeth Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book so I'm hoping some of the issues I encountered have been fixed. The most annoying impediment to reading was the dearth of commas. The other problem was that internal dialogue was not indicated by quotation marks or italics (my preferred method), which made it necessary to reread sections when the voice changed unexpectedly.

The plot was great, with enough tension to make me nervous. Regina was heroic and inspiring; it was easy to see why everyone who got to know her loved her. Though it was understandable, I was frustrated by Benjamin's inability to believe her.

I spent a good portion of the book expecting to find out some unexpected revelations about Regina's roots to the nobility. It certainly wasn't necessary, but by taking the time to go into detail about her genealogy, and lack of information, the author led me to believe I would learn more. That was a bit disappointing, but I still find the book to be enjoyable and worth recommending.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Customer Review

Lynne
4.0 out of 5 starsGood

Good plot brilliant Heroine
24 January 2019

This is an intriguing story.I enjoyed it I won’t say much about the story line as others have done so,what I will say is the hero was a bit wet he is supposed to love the heroine but doesn’t believe her when she is set up by the villain.
luckily for the h, she has very good friends who help her.
Few mistakes the most glaring was the “ptarmigans” were shot during a hunt unfortunately for the author she neglected to check
what these birds where called in England.The ptarmigan bird is called the Red Grouse
But as it had no baring on the story I dismissed it,never the less authors should do their research carefully when writing about a period of English history.
Good book well worth the cost you will love it

[Candy Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Regina Buxton was an orphan but luckily she was adopted by the blacksmith, Mark and his awful wife.He tried to teach her everything she might need to survive in her world. Lord Benajim Allen, Duke of Lyndon, becomes her victim. She needs to eat and has turned to being a thief. He takes her back to his manor and she works as a scullery maid.
I loved the story, and so enjoyed reading the interactions of the characters. Someone has been trying to kill him, but who? The plot is exciting, dangerous, and intriguing. But I have to say I think Benjamin is a pambie who does not know his own mind. He is so ready to believe everyone else and not the one who proved her loyalty. I guess he is a fool.
I received this ARC from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.

[Sheila Wellworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving my review. This book was truly a pleasure to read. Action packed story of an orphaned girl who has had a rough start in life. But she never gives up and forges ahead bravely into her future. She is willing to do anything to save the man she loves. The Duke, a kind and generous man, truly Noble but who feels the strictures of the social class he has been born into. The storyline is deep and well written, full of action, love and mystery. It was a real page turner, with truly engaging characters. I absolutely loved every minute, from beginning to end. Congratulations to Emma Linfield for yet another wonderful novel.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding family and love amidst a dangerous mystery

This was an intriguing story that generally kept my attention, and drew me into the lives of the characters. While I determined early on who the villain was, the reason for his actions was surprising.

I thought the development of the main characters' romance was rather believable (especially knowing what noble ladies were expected to learn to be ready for marriage), and I enjoyed it to the end. But the continual insight into "family" was what really got my attention. The subsequent closeness, joy and help to be found in those around us when we 1. lose our birth families, or 2. have been rejected by them. It can make up for the sometimes tremendous feelings of loss - where there is a willingness to

[5 Kindles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a true rags to riches story with love and and honor being more important than money. As Regina is left orphaned and vulnerable to her stepmother she flees and having no funds turns to thievery to survive. This is how she meets Duke Benjamin Allen. Despite their encounter he gives her a chance to work and live in his household as a scullery maid, only he comes to admire and love her with unimaginable consequences. There is love, murder, attempted murder and more and you will want to read this one straight through!!! Excellent story.

[alfawolf1 ~Sherri K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regina has a troubled upbringing and is a commoner. Benjamin is a young Duke. When Regina tried to rob the Duke, things could go terribly wrong. But he takes pity on her and gives her a place to stay and a job as a member of his staff. In time, they form a friendship, which grows to love. But love, especially marriage, is not acceptable between their classes.

When Regina discovers a plot to kill the Duke, she risks everything to save her beloved Benjamin.

This story is filled with humor, love, intrigue and danger! It kept me on the edge of my seat! Well done, again, Emma Linfield!

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this exciting clean Regency romance filled with danger, mystery, romance, and so much more! The author's storytelling draws one in and made me feel like I was there right alongside the brave heroine Regina who overcame much in her young life and gave everything for the one she loved without expecting anything in return. So glad for the HEA epilogue. I received a complementary ARC copy of this book. I highly recommend this book and have voluntarily given my honest opinion.

[Charline Bonham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pickpocket

Regina tried to steal from Benjamin not realizing he was a nobleman. He managed to toss her into the creek and then felt bad when he saw it was a woman. Taking her to his home as a maid was not his best move. It only gets worse when he thinks she stole from him and accused his Uncle of trying to harm him. Regina will do anything to save him even putting herself in danger.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Emma's best so far!
Regina was a very strong character, despite her hard start inlife, or maybe because of it!
She was very caring. Once she made friends, they stood by one another.
The duke couldn't help but love her, even though she was a commoner.
They went through many dangers and I feared for their lives, but in the end truth triumphed.

[Diane Horne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Perilous Quest of th Rejected Duchess By Emma Linfield

Five stars, the duke was rather stupid whereas Regina was a strong woman, love the fact that she had the backing of not only the duke's household but others in the village..She carried the blunt of being hurt, but she won the guy in the end.

[Mercedes Salvador-McClellan · Rating 4 out of 5]

All for love

Two people who should have never crossed paths met under some weird circumstances. Fate brought them together and now it's up to them to discover that society rules can not keep them apart. She is willing to confront all type of risks to keep him alive and happy. What will be give in return? Find out!

[Catherine Tijerina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma Linfield writes a great storyline. Regina,and Benjamin come from very different worlds. They meet under unique circumstances but something draws them together until an attempt is made on Benjamin's life and Regina is the accused. I enjoyed this book,and would recommend it to anyone interested in Regency novels.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good find

This is my first book by this author. I found it to be a good read with great characters. It taught of love and friendshipd, hatred and evil. Good prevailed over evil, true love blossomed and won. My only part i did not like was having to get an extended epilogue, it should be included in the original story.

[Zeinab Dh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose to read and review this book. I enjoy this genre a lot. I am a fan of the author and like her work. Like many of them, this one was amazing. Everything is well written, the plot, the characters, the sparks that are everywhere. I was captivated from the first page.

[Debra Everett · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a sad story which had a very beautiful ending murder, thieves , all happening all because a family member to stubborn to say what he wanted. I couldn't put it down. 5++++ I was given a chance to read this book for a honest review.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never read a more inappropriately titled book

Where was the Duchess in this story? Only the author knows. The rejection....questionable. I still enjoyed it enough to complete it, so that's a good thing.