Secret Confessions of the Enticing Duchess

by Olivia Bennet

Because the most dangerous lies are the ones you tell your own self…

Oblivious of her true identity since birth, Abigail Thorne lives a quiet life working in her mother’s dressmaking shop. When a stunning nobleman enters the shop with his obnoxious fiancé, she is immediately enticed.

Suffering his parents’ sudden loss at a young age, Percival Montagu, Duke of Northcott, becomes enamored with the ravishing dressmaker and craves to make her his mistress. But he has made a lucrative deal and too much is at stake should he breaks it.

When a stolen jewel and a series of well-crafted events throw Abigail in gaol, her life is in peril. Percival is the only one who can save her from a terrible fate.

However, he doesn’t know that their pasts are sickeningly intertwined and something darker is connecting them...a shattering secret that should have been kept hidden, forever.

*If you like a realistic yet steamy depiction of the Regency and Victorian era, then Secret Confessions of the Enticing Duchess is the novel for you.

This is Olivia's second novel, a historical Regency romance novel of 80,000 words (around 400 pages). No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a strong happily ever after.

Pick up "Secret Confessions of the Enticing Duchess" today to discover Olivia's new amazing story!

Genres: Historical Romance, Regency

529 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 9, 2019

About the author

Having obtained a degree in Journalism, but with an affinity for literature and creative writing, Olivia Bennet knew from a young age that her future lay in the romantic ideals of the past. With a fascination for the Regency era and a good romance, she started her career as a historical romance author the old-fashioned way: with pen and paper.

Born in rural Devon, Olivia draws inspiration from the vast farmlands of the British countryside and the people living in the surrounding villages. An avid artist, she takes her sketchbook everywhere with her and captures the beauty of nature, which she then incorporates into her books.

Reviews

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Secret Confessions of the Enticing Duchess" was another enjoyable read from new-to-me author Olivia Bennet. Ms. Bennet is very skilled at crafting an engaging, suspenseful story arc and keeping me guessing as the twists and turns unfold. I also found the main characters, Miss Abigail Thorne and Percival Montague, the Duke of Northcott, to be likeable and well-developed. It took me a little while to really warm up to Percival, but after learning more about his tragic childhood and family history, I couldn't help but feel compassion for him and root for him to find love and happiness with a family of his very own.

I always enjoy historicals featuring characters with "non-traditional" backgrounds, and this one was particularly interesting for me given that the heroine was the one who was not an aristocrat. I've read a number of stories with working class heroes, but not as many with working class heroines. It was interesting to see the challenges Abigail and her mother faced in building their business, as well as how Abigail navigated her relationship with Percival differently from how a "gently reared" young lady might have done. The one (small) thing that bothered me was Percival's seeming indifference towards Abigail's reputation as he pursued her. While she may not have had a "ton" reputation to protect, shopkeepers relied heavily on respectability to build their businesses, and Percival's public pursuit of Abigail as a potential mistress could easily have harmed the dressmaking shop's business prospects. Fortunately, that did not happen, but things easily could have turned out differently considering how fickle "ton" clients could be!

In any event, I look forward to reading more of Ms. Bennet's works in the future.

*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Secret Confessions of the Enticing Duchess” earns 5/5 Delicious Secrets…Clever and Engaging!

I am a newbie to the Historical Romance genre, and with Olivia Bennet’s book I'm an eager fan! She has penned a well-written saga set in early nineteenth century England with intrigue, personal secrets, and romance. Readers understand that this genre has its happy endings, so you know it's the journey one enjoys, not the destination. What a marvelous journey! Although I am not a real fan of the third-person narrative, I missed the “I” perspective of the main character, but Olivia kept me totally engaged with vivid descriptions, realistic dialogue and use of language, and a variety of storylines from various viewpoints concluding with a satisfying “Cinderella” style closure. Do not misunderstand; this is not a juvenile fairytale. The story immerses readers into the early 1800s following a wealthy Duke who is set to marry a woman of his status, but he discovers his true love is that of a dressmaker’s daughter. Unfortunately secrets, threats, accusations, and “gaol” time separate the star-crossed lovers in engaging and entertaining dramatic fashion. I enjoyed Olivia’s story tremendously with the clever titles given to each chapter and additional closure with an Epilogue and Extended Epilogue. I will definitely read more in this genre, and Olivia Bennet is at the top of my “must read” list.

"Disclosure: I received an ARC. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments."

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (10/27/2020)! 🎁

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another author to keep your eye on !
Very impressed with each book I've had the opportunity to read, and i must say Olivia is sure to be a great success!
Loved this book and I'm sure others will enjoy it as much as I did.
Nicely done, Olivia!

[Space Cowgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Seamstress💃💋 And The Duke🐺💘

Adult Alpha Male🐺🍆🌋 Regency Romance💕 and Murder Mystery🔪
Daughter of a widowed modiste, Abigail Thorne💃💋, never thought she would catch the eye of Percival Montagu🐺🍆🌋, Duke of Northcott! When he escorts his almost betrothed, Rosalind👺, to the dress maker, he and Abigail💃💋 are immediately infatuated with each other!

The trouble starts immediately, with criminals and schemers in both families vying to do evil deeds to Abigail💃💔 to keep Percival🐺🍆🌋 from being with her.

How dare a commoner fall in love💘 with a Duke! It just isn't done!

ARC Received from Bookfunnel💨
I also got the book from KU.

I enjoyed this well written and plotted out book by new author Olivia Bennet, because there are multiple characters with their own selfish reasons to stop Percival's🐺🍆🌋 courtship of Abigail💃💋. Schemers, lyers, criminals, are all trying to get their hands on the Duke's money, and his title!

This definitely an Adult novel with explicit bedroom scenes.

[CarolKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Percival Montagu, Duke of Northcott knows it's time he takes a wife and produces an heir. His aunt Lady Martha Stanley has been very vocal about the subject and has a perfect candidate for him, Lady Rosaline Hoskins. The daughter of the Earl of Huntington, is well suited to become a Duchess, she has been raised to the role. Unwilling to face the Balls of the London season, Percival has his aunt invite the family to dinner to discuss the possible match.

Lady Rosaline was most excited and asks the Duke to accompany her to help pick fabric and style for her engagement ball gown. Less than enthused he agrees all the while thinking of ways to escape quickly. It's during this outing that Percival first sees Abigail. She is the one who will be making Lady Roseline's gown.

Percival couldn't get Abigail Thorne out of his mind, and was beginning to re-think his upcoming engagement announcement. On the pretense of purchasing wraps and a redingote for his aunt he visits the shop alone. This visit results in an invitation to nuncheon as a walk in Hyde Park was out of the question for her.

From this point things become more and more difficult as Lady Rosaline discovers her soon to be betrothed's interest in her dressmaker. It seems Lady Rosaline has no intention of giving up her Duke and accused Abigail of theft. Not once but twice, the second far more serious than the first with Abigail ending up in Newgate prisonand that came after the Duke broke the engagement with Rosaline.

Abigail's parentage comes into play, as she has never known much about him or the circumstances under which she came to be in London with her mother and her beau Phillip.

Plenty of intrigue as the Duke and her family do their very best to prove her innocence and find ways to keep her from hanging.

A fun read that takes us from the very beginning of the relationship, with lots of information on friendships and family. Theirs also some serious heat that flows between the Duke and Abigail, even before it hits the bedroom.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secret Confessions of an Enticing Duchess by Olivia Bennett is an unlikely book with the main characters being Miss Abigail Thorne, the daughter of a dressmaker, and Percival, Duke of Northcutt and the story of their unlikely romance. Percival is not particularly enthralled with the idea of marriage. He knows it is his duty, and his aunt is constantly after him so he decides to give in (and avoid the marriage mart known as "The Season") and proposes to Lady Rosaline Hoskins, the daughter of the Earl of Huntington. She is beautiful and appears to be the perfect candidate to be his Duchess. At her insistence he accompanies her to the dressmaker to order a dress for the party at which their engagement will be made official. There her meets Abigail and the problems begin.

The characters in this missive are well rounded: actually the best being Lady Rosaline who is the epitome of the spoiled rich kid. Her manners to those she considers beneath her are atrocious and she literally screams when she doesn't get her own way and runs crying to her daddy. Abigail is a mature and intelligent young woman, despite having been raised by a single mother and knows her own worth, values those around her, Percival is a little arrogant, in the beginning, at least, but likable and knows his own mind. The plot is not at all likely or historically appropriate, but it was enjoyable. The ending is a twist I did not see coming. All in all, an enjoyable book. I recommend it.

I received a free ARC of Secret Confessions of an Enticing Duchess in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Carole Burant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I've just finished reading this book and my head is spinning! So many secrets, lies, twists and turns....add to that, passion, and you have an excellent story!

Abigail Thorne is happily living an ordinary life helping her mother out in her dressmaking shop, although she feels her mother is keeping secrets from her about her real father.

Percival Montagu, Duke of Northcott, is ready to settle down and take a wife. He takes his aunt's suggestion and becomes betrothed to Lady Rosaline Hoskins. When he accompanies her to the dressmaker's shop, he meets Abigail and it's instant attraction between them. He decides he'll make Abigail his mistress but it doesn't take long before he realizes he's in love with her and wants her as his wife instead.

That's when all the fun begins....Abigail ends up in gaol, being falsely accused of being a thief, no one can be trusted, secrets are revealed, innocent people are at risk and Abigail and Percival are thrown into total chaos.

I thought this story was very well written and all the characters play their part so well!! Giving this a solid 5 star rating.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Teralyn Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an ARC copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

I love historical romance and devour them. This was the first novel I read by Oliva Bennet and I truly enjoyed it a lot. It was intriguing and so many moving parts. I was wondering what was going on throughout the book and why was it so important for the Duke and Lady Rosaline to marry. I loved the romance between Percival and Abigail. It was so sweet with just the right amount of steam. It was clear from the beginning that they were made for each other. I loved seeing all the points of view and always being able to know what was going on from each character's points of view. I liked Abigail's mother, Joan, and her mother's lover, Phillip as well as her best friend, Claudette.

The story was well written and the pacing was done well. Nothing was revealed too fast and just when you were getting a bit weary and wanting information the author gave it at just the right time. I truly enjoyed reading this book and cannot wait to read more books by Olivia Bennet!

[Shirley Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conspiracy to Murder

Percival lost his parents at a young age and was raised by his aunt along with her son Henry. She has been pushing him to marry Rosaline and telling him that his parents would have been very much behind the marriage. Percival asks her to marry him but states that the engagement not be announced until the ball.
Rosaline asks him to escort her to the dressmakers so she can have a dress made for the occasion. He meets the young lady and her mother that own the place and becomes interested in her more so than Rosaline who becomes aware that something is going on. Rosaline accuses the young lady of theft while in the shop. When Percival breaks their engagement, she plots with his aunt to get rid of her competition by having her thrown in Newgate Prison by framing her for stealing.
Percival finds out who killed his parents, Henry overhears a conversation between his mother and Rosaline's father in her bedroom hatching a conspiracy for murdering the new Duchess whom has been returned to Newgate Prison.

[Elizabeth Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great story with a strong plot, enough suspense to make me quite nervous, and sympathetic characters. The writing is good, with a few phrases that were unfamiliar to me but easy enough to decipher in context. It was an unusual story in which I had trouble predicting what might happen next. I recommend it.

I only have a couple of complaints, and these involve SPOILERS.

1. When Percival finds Abigail, why doesn't he send a message to her mother immediately? Waiting until morning was terribly inconsiderate, not to mention out of character.
2. Why on Earth does Abigail go to Rosaline's? More importantly, why does she go alone? Furthermore, why doesn't she tell anyone where she's going? Her actions beggared belief!
3. When Abigail confides in Claudette that she suspects something is amiss, Claudette tells her, “Well, your instincts have always been good…” Even Abigail was stunned that Claudette would say that after criticizing her bad judgment. It was a ridiculous statement for her to make.

[Eunice Coorlas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The daughter of a widowed dressmaker, Abigail catches the eye of Duke Percival. The only problem, he was engaged to Lady Rosalind - a spoiled daughter of an Earl. When the Duke breaks off his engagement in order to marry Abigail the fun starts. Accused of stealing an expensive Ruby broach from Rosalind, Abigail is arrested and sent to prison to await trial.
Percival rescued Abigail and endeavors to clear her name. In the meantime, a horrifying secret comes to light which could change everything between the Duke and Abigail. Will their love prevail or will the information end their relationship.
This was an exciting read and difficult to put down. I enjoyed the relationship between Abigail and the duke as she was down to earth and very different from the women he had previously encountered.

[Lail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secret Confessions of the Enticing Duchess by Oliva Bennet is a great read! This book was entertaining with high energy, great characters, complex plots with twist and turns that keep you guessing what was going to happen next! I loved the thought that went into making such a twisty plot with mystery, adventure, intrigue, angst, and steamy 4 flame under the covers romance, surely to leave a blush! And, yes there are also whiny self serving, evil, and corrupt characters to round out any good story and for you to vent at too.
I really enjoyed it, recommend it, and plan to read more from this author! This story can be read as a standalone.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written and entertaining book. The story revolves around the budding relationship between Percival and Abigail and all the people who try to keep them apart. Also included in the story are a few mysteries including who Abigail’s father is and who murdered Percival’s parents. There is a HEA but a lot happens first. The only thing that could have made it better would have been to shorten the length, it was rather lengthy and a little slow in places. I would still recommend this book as a good read.

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

Abigail and Percival's story is wrought with secrets, lies and greed. When the Duke, Percival, falls for his fiancee's dressmaker, Abigail, trouble ensues. Percival pursues Abigail. The jilted fiancee and her family are not about to let him get away with it, they will be rid of Abigail no matter what it takes! But there is more to it than that, there are secrets that can tear them apart. Can their love survive all that comes their way?

This was a wonderful book! I look forward to reading more of Olivia Bennet's books!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the first half of the book was incredible tedious. I felt surprised because I really wanted to like this book. However, halfway through the story took an incredible turn and became gripping. I was totally engrossed in the story and plowed through to the end. Like I said, the second half of the book made up for how boring the first part was. If you don't mind that fact then by all means read the book. I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amary Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dressmaker Abigail Thorne has no idea how complicated her past is...until she falls for an engaged Duke with a determined fiancee.
The Duke of Northcott was resigned to a marriage of convenience until he met Abigail.
Their connection brought all kinds of skeletons out of the closet and endangered Abigail, but Northcott and her family found a way to bring about a happy ending.
Combining mystery and romance gets my vote.

[Virginia VanSaders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great story.

There is never a dull moment in this story. So much action. What these characters go through is astounding. There is deceit, suspense, mystery, anxiety, apprehension and love. This story will keep you on your toes and you won't be able to put it down until the end. It is well written and author brings all the characters out to the best of her ability, which is exemplary. I highly recommend this book.

[Rusti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Abigail and Percival - their romance itself burned slowly, but the intrigue and mystery of their situation (and those making it so drama-filled) kept the flow going nicely. I was pleasantly surprised by the ousting of the villain at the end (didn't quite see THAT coming entirely!!) and loved the extended epilogues which provided a little more of Abigail and Percival's love story and life journey. A fun read, would definitely recommend!!

[Teresa M Bawa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading an ARC of this book.
It is action packed and there is never a dull moment.
Has you rooting for certain characters and getting mad at others. And on the historical side its quite interesting to realize how tough things were in those days where justice was concerned.
A few steamy scenes.
This was a beautifully written book.
Highly recommend.

[Ramonita Roldan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Percival Montagu, Duke of NorthCotts & Abigail Thorne 's story was simply magical. The tragic loss of his parents shaped his life. The secrets about her life always filled her with conflicting emotions. Together they will discovered, that when there's a will, there's a way. Loved this story. Highly Recommend. Happy Reading.

[Joyce Neigebauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

I so do love a mystery to walk into a business and find the one person who is your sole mate. To find out that your father is a criminal and thought to be dead come to find out he is alive. To be accused of taking a piece of jewelry just so that person could be married to a duke. To have everything come to light and find out who killed his parents and why he did it.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story starts out slow but then became one I was not putting down until I had finished it. Abigail Thorne and Percival Montagu, Duke of Northcott's story is one of lies, deceit, jealousy, and romance. A story I enjoyed reading.

[Debra Everett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enticing story of a duke falling in love with a comment . Rejecting the lady that his about is trying to push him into marrying. This book has it all romance, sadness, secrets. You have to read it to love it.

[Katie Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a real rollercoaster of a ride! It does show the saucier side of the Regency, in which Dukes kept mistresses without having to worry about winning hearts and hands. It was incredibly fun and entertaining, and quite eventful! Never a dull moment.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abigail is such a sweet character. The way that she is treated by Rosaline is awful. Thankfully her Duke is able to rescue her with help from her friends.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sharon Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book!

Another great book by Olivia Bennet! A Duke gets what he wants. Very exciting,intriguing and romantic. The storyline was fantastic and also so sad for Abigail knowing all the secrets that were kept from her. But she finds love and her happily ever after.

[Traci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

A different take on society and the machinations done to secure a marriage with title and fortune. Evil lurks within the hero's own household, while the heroine, unknown to her is related to very notorious people. This brings them together with love.

[Sandra B. Culbertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

An improbable scenario for the Regency era, but an entertainingly addictive story. Filled with adventure, betrayal, intrigue and love between a nobleman and a seamstress, this novel will keep you engossed until the end. Don,t pass up the epilogue.

[Sarah Schuster · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read

This Regency historical romance was very good to read.

It had just the right amount of intrigue and interest as well as a satisfying HEA complete with extended epilogue