The Duke's Second Chance

Lords for the Sisters of Sussex #1

by Jen Geigle Johnson

Second chances often come from surprising places. Will the Duke find another chance at love when everything seems to be combining against him?

Gerald feels as though he’s lost everything when his wife takes her last breath.

Amelia’s world turns upside down when the Duke of Granbury steps into her tea shop and leaves with her heart.

But when a secret from Amelia’s past unveils possibilities, will the duke get a second chance at love from an unexpected source?

Buy this first book in a Regency romance series for a taste of deep loyal friendship, beautiful second chances, and the path to heal a heart.

Look for the other books in the series:
The Earl's Winning Wager
Her Lady's Whims and Fancies
Suitors for the Proper Miss
Pining for Lord Lockhart
The Foibles and Follies of Miss Grace

Genres: Romance, Regency, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Novella

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2019

About the author

An award winning author, including the GOLD in Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards and LDSPMA Praiseworthy's top award for Romance, Jen Geigle Johnson has more stories circulating in her brain than can possibly be told. She discovered her passion for England while kayaking on the Thames near London as a young teenager. HIstory is her main jam. Her literary heroes include the greats: Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. But she has modern sensibilities as well. Six children and an inspiring husband keep her going and make certain she doesn't stay glued to a keyboard or lost in obscure fascinating details of old castles. She once greeted an ancient turtle under the water by grabbing her fin. She waterskis like a boss and hits the powder, falling down steep moguls with grace. During a study break date in college, she sat on top of a jeep's roll bars up in the mountains and fell in love with the man who would become her everything.

Now, she loves to share bits of history that might otherwise be forgotten. Whether in Regency England, the French Revolution, or Colonial America, her romance novels are much like life is supposed to be: full of adventure.

https://www.jengeiglejohnson.com

Twitter--@authorjen
Instagram--@authorlyjen
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenGei...

Reviews

[HR-ML · Rating 1 out of 5]

Regency. Skipped ahead on this far-fetched story.

Widowed Gerald lost his beloved wife in childbirth.
He was not 'the sharpest knife in the drawer.' He
made rash decisions. It took him > than 4 months
to look at and hold his baby son! At one point this
man, a Duke, swept up broken crockery in the tea
shop!! Huh???

Amelia ran a tea shop. She and her ill father lived
above the shop. Amelia coveted pretty dresses and
such.

Gerald impulsively became engaged to a (harridan
in disguise) widow he barely knew. Then his
solution to this quandry…. I concluded he was
not bright enough to have a HEA.

The only saving grace was the ''hero's" best friend/
cousin Morley, a real man. Not feather-headed, not
impulsive.

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes a connection is just plain undeniable and I love watching the twists and turns life takes for these characters to realize that. Amelia works in a tea shop, but the conversation is lively and the bond is deep when Gerald, a duke, steps into her shop.

I enjoyed this sweet, gentle romance, with its pleasant characters and tender charm. I loved how the story had a few layers of second chances embedded within it, and not just with the romance. Oh, how I love a cute Regency romance!

This story starts out with a sad tone, but the cute fluff quickly emerges and I'm looking forward to reading this entire series. Times were definitely different back then and the author does a great job of making that apparent. There isn't a luxury of taking one's time to figure things out, or even to mourn, as is shown with the sudden decisions of the main characters. Although I wished for a slightly longer story, character emotions are fairly well-rounded and described, and this story is quite enjoyable.

Content: mild romance

*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*

[Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story begins with a celebratory event that quickly turns into tragedy. Gerald is forced to live without the woman that he loves and has no inclination to see his newborn son. He is bitter and feels that he has no hope.

Trying to run away from his problems he finds himself at the door of a tea shop and meets a woman who he feels he can talk to. Amelia feels an instant connection but realizes that he is above her station. When he reveals a drastic plan she realizes that she must be just as drastic to save him from a life of unhappiness.

This book is really sweet. I enjoyed the relationship between Gerald, Amelia, and Gerald's best friend. Gerald is surrounded by people who genuinely care about him and will do whatever it takes to help him find happiness. This book is a second chance for him and a time that he can come to love his son. I liked the relationships that were built in this story.

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Heidi Robbins (Heidi Reads...) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a sweet story! I loved Amelia's tea shop setting and how she had genuine conversations with a man deep in grief, something she has experience dealing with. Amelia is the gem in this story, caught between two worlds and not daring to dream. The duke is something else- I was getting whiplash from his mood swings and irrational choices. I would have loved this book to be longer with further character development and exploration of the various situations that came up. When the resolution came about I was surprised at how quickly things were wrapped up. There is so much potential with this story and characters for more depth and development.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

[Becky of Becky's Bookshelves · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Duke’s Second Chance by Jen Geigle Johnson is all that a regency novel should be. The story contains the intricacies of regency society, lovely characters, a wonderful duke, a lovable heroine, and a satisfying ending. Ms. Johnson is a new to me author and I thoroughly enjoyed Duke’s Second Chance. Her writing style is pleasant and fun to read. This is the first in a series called the Sisters of Sussex. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and look forward to meeting some of them again in future books.

I recommend you pick up The Duke’s Second Chance. You will not be disappointed.
I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a review.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely Second Chance!

I absolutely loved this second chance story. The broken hearted Duke happens into a tea room, not yet locked up for the night and meets a wonderful, compassionate, young woman working there. She speaks her mind offers him comforting words and gives him very good advice.
I won't give spoilers but it was a delight to read this story. I look forward to reading the next book.
*Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited*

[Kailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very sweet and clean read. I was able to read this one very quickly. I enjoyed how the story moved at a decent pace. I really liked Amelia. I think she was a perfect balance and match for Gerald. I’m looking forward to reading the next book!


I was given a complimentary copy of this ebook from the author, but was not required to write a review. The thoughts and comments are my own.

[Maria Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sweet novella starts off so sadly I thought the author would have to jump ahead a decade at least to move past the grief and sorrow. It was a pleasant surprised to have the duke meet someone who just allowed him to grieve and begin to heal.

I loved the idea of Amelia being able to see into his soul by painting his eyes. There is great romance in that.

The story is short so everything moves quickly out of necessity. It was maybe a bit too convenient to have the secret from Amelia's past come to light when it did but it was such a lovely Cinderella story I didn't care.

No sex, language or violence
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poignant and heart-wrenching to begin with, this novella looks at how second chances can come & love can grow, even when we don’t think we want them.

Being a novella this is a fast paced & very quick read. The character development is not as detailed as the author normally delivers, but it is a novella so this is to be expected. With an epilogue introducing the next book in the series, this is a nice introduction to the Lord’s for the Sisters of Sussex series. I am looking forward to reading the next one, with Lord Morley getting his own story! I already like his character from the times we get to meet him in this story.

This is a clean, wholesome read with a feel good ending.

I received an ARC of this book. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't get pulled in as much as I usually do with one of this author's books, but that being said I still loved Gerald and Amelia. With it being a novella the story was a little rushed and characters not as developed as normal, but it was a good quick read. The relationship between Amelia and Gerald was sweet. There was some crazy drama and I wish there had been more about how it was resolved, but again that is one of the problems with novellas. I am intrigued by this series and am excited for Lord Morley's story.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jen Geigle Johnson has written a charming easy read in her book The Duke’s Second Chance. A huge theme and focus in this story is family. It’s about love and losing that love, but being able to find love and roance again. Although Johnson has readers hooked from the turn of the first page, the strength of this emotional connection does not last the entirety of the story, fading a little bit as the story continutes. But the story still is still one that readers will enjoy, with its relatable characters and sad, but enjoyable tale. Readers will look forward to another book in this delightful series.

Series: Lords for the Sisters of Sussex
Genre: regency, romance
Publisher: Indie
Publication date: October 8, 2019
Number of pages: 137

Other books in the series:
2-The Earl’s Winning Wager
3-Her Lady’s Whims and Fancies
4-Suitors for the Proper Miss
5-Pining for Lord Lockhart
6-The Foibles and Follies of Miss Grace

A review copy of this book was purchased for review. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A regency clean and sweet read. I finished it in a day. It was just what I needed today. It starts out quite sad. I could see the direction it was going after reading a few paragraphs. And it is quite tragic. But it is a beautiful telling of new beginnings and allowing love into a broken heart. I read a critique earlier saying the romance was too quick. I can see their point but I think there are times when things just fall into place. Gerald didn’t have to remarry prior to his mourning period being over but it might have been in his sons best interest and his estate for him to move on. And the heart doesn’t have to have a set mourning period even if it is custom. Regardless, I enjoyed the characters and I am excited to know that Lord Morley is getting his own story.

[Tiffany (Bluestocking) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good idea but poorly executed. Gerald was dim witted and made very rash and stupid decisions. Amelia was starry eyed and naive so I didn’t expect much from her🤷🏽‍♀️ The writing was all over the place, some things just happened too quickly and everything else was unrealistic, so nothing made much sense. The entire story was anachronistic (there were so many historical errors that I gave up counting). I feel like I lost some brain cells reading this one.


Content: Clean/Chaste

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book starts out with the duke's first wife dying in childbirth. It was a very sad scene and it made you want to sympathize with the heartbroken duke. But then, only FOUR MONTHS LATER, he is ready to get married again?! After that first death scene, I felt more loyalty to his wife then I did to Amelia (his second chance) and thought Camilla deserved more than that. This also was not very accurate historically. When a family member dies in the regency period, the rest of the family is supposed to be in mourning for a year! This means very few parties and social activities, and absolutely NO dancing. So why was it okay for the duke to WALTZ with the owner of a teashop after just four months? There were many other historical inaccuracies, but that one bothered me the most.
The writing was immature and did not have smooth transitions between scenes, and there were a lot of typos and confusing sentences. While it was a clean romance, the dreadful writing made it feel more like a trashy romance novel. 10/10 do not recommend.

[Emily Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you can combine a second chance at love with a Regency novel, there is nothing better. I really liked the way this story developed in an unconventional manner. Usually, I expect the book to be all about the balls and Hyde park and all that is good and appropriate. There was a little of that, but even it was unconventional.

It was evident immediately that our Duke loved his first wife, but what wasn't evident was if he would be able to find happiness again. He came with a meddling mother that would have him marry the first "appropriate" person who came a long, barely giving him time to grieve.

Then there is our heroine who does just what she should do for him, listen. She didn't set out to fall in love with him, but sometimes that cannot be helped.

Overall, I loved this story, I love Jen Geigle Johnson's strong writing and outside the box approach to her characters and stories. I would recommend this to those who love a good Regency Story.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading a good Regency romance. It makes me happy when I like the characters, and a good escape is the best. And it’s even better if I get all of that in a book that is quick and easy to read. The Duke’s Second Chance is one of those.

The book starts with a super sad scene. Gerald’s dear wife doesn’t survive the first chapter and he’s devastated. It made me wonder just where the book was going to go from that sad place.

Luckily, Gerald met Amelia. This was also interesting to me, because Amelia worked in the tea room her father owned. This made Gerald and Amelia’s chance of having a relationship in Regency times about zero.

Things change for the two of them, I won’t tell you how, you’ll have to read it yourself. But that’s okay, because you’ll enjoy this one! It’s a fun, quick, easy to read escape to Regency England that you’ll love!

I was sent a copy of this book as a gift from the author. All opinions are my own.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy this author's books, but this one was little harder for me to enjoy. The storyline was interesting and held promise, but it felt rushed and incomplete. It felt like the editing wasn't finished and was not the usual level that this author writes at. There was missing punctuation, the duke's wife's name was misspelled, etc. It was a little hard to follow at times in terms of timing, (a month passed and I thought it was the same day still). The character's feelings were all over the place and it just didn't feel as developed of a story as I had expected or would have like to have read. I was looking forward to reading this story but can't honestly say that I'd read it again or really recommend it. I really hate leaving less than a 5 star review, which I think this author usually deserves.

[B. D. Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was impressed with the opening of this first novella of the Lords for the Sisters of Sussex. Gerald, Duke of Granbury suffers an unexpected loss of his beloved Camilla during childbirth. He is devastated. Although his son survives and is cared for, he goes several months before he even visits his son in the nursery. This opening is well written and heartrending. I will not duplicate the outstanding work of other reviewers who do a good job of describing the storyline. Suffice it to say that this is a well-told story worthy of being recommended to any who enjoy regency romance. Though generally well-written, there are some editorial errors that should have been corrected prior to publication, one of which is an indecipherable sentence that I re-read several times and could not get a clue about what the author was trying to say. Four-Stars.

[Adrienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise was interesting, but the story just felt really rushed and didn't hold my interest like other books. The romance aspect especially was just too fast and didn't have enough time to develop.

I read an ARC provided by the author. All opinions are my own.

[BlueJeansAndTeacups · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite enjoyable Regency-era read.
Free download offered by the author. I enjoyed it enough that I plan to download the next in the series. Recommended for anyone who enjoys clean, easy-going historical fiction without pretension.
New-to-me author recommended by Regina Scott, in her author newsletter.

All opinions are mine alone without expectation or compensation.

Book 12 GoodReads Reading Challenge 📚 2023

[Elda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dreamy!

This delightful read will have you curling your toes at the thought of a Duke falling in love with a tea shop owner’s daughter. (Sigh!) Ms Johnson does an excellent job developing this tale into one that will definitely put a smile on your face and possibly provide you with wonderful dreams besides. I can easily recommend this book to anyone who loves a good historical romance.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun and heartwarming story

I fell in love with this story. It is engaging and hard to put down ( I finished it in one day!). You can feeling the love and heartbreak in the loss of Gerald’s beloved wife, and the love and heartwarming trust secured in Amelia. I loved how their story came together how they were able to heal each other.

[Alicia Rivoli · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a book makes your cry in the 1st chapter, you know it’s going to be a good story. It had some editing mistakes, characters by different names, misspellings, etc... but honestly it didn’t bother me. The story held my complete attention and I couldn’t put it down and I was sad that it ended so quickly. Looking forward to the next book in the series

[Carolyn Bonney jefferson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Duke's Second Chance by Jen Geigle Johnson writes a beautiful book about the love a person has for their spouse and the ability to find love again. Gerald deeply loved his wife and grieved her death years later. Amelia was raised as a commoner and did not have the "upity" attitude that so many of the upper class people have. Amelia is a person who has genuine goodness within her and becomes the duke's sounding board and healer. When her Grandparents offer the opportunity to be introduced into the upper class that her Mother had been part of (and gave up for the love of Amelia's Father) and Amelia's father encourages Amelia to take the opportunity that has been given to her. Amelia and Gerald find each other in this new opportunity and Gerald finds a second chance for love through Amelia. It is a fast book to read and very enjoyable. It is a book that you cheer for lead characters to find a way to find love with each other.

[MoonGarden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story of a second love after loss and grief

I haven't read a single one of Jen Geigle Johnson's books that I didn't like. All have been enjoyable. I agree with other reviewers that this story would have been better as a full length/longer novel, but I still really enjoyed it!

The beginning was painful to read because I lost my dear daddy just nine days ago. Gerald's pain was terrible and I found myself expressing some of my own grief though his as I read.

The relationship between Gerald and Amelia is lovely and sweet and healing.

I received a free copy of this book from the author and this review is my honest opinion.

I saw the book is also available in Kindle Unlimited so I checked it out and I like the final editing.

[Karen Polo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story of how to learn to love again

I love stories that are so real. Loosing someone can be so painful, even more so if it is the love of your life, and she leaves a newborn; how on earth do you recover from this? The Duke’s story takes little by little to the path of forgiveness, putting yourself back together by simply talking and expressing your deepest feelings and emotions and in that path learning to love again, to trust again.
A true beautiful story that I will be reading once again and even better, I get to revisit all the characters in the next books of the series!

[Holly Bleggi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was good but it wasn't as good as some of her other books that I have read. As a second chance at love romance it was a sweet story. My biggest issues was just that the story didn't flow quite as smoothly as I would like and the characters were not as developed as they are in some of her other books. I still enjoyed reading is since it is a sweet, clean romance but I was a little disappointed that it wasn't as good as some of her other books that I have really enjoyed reading.

[Stella Potts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short and sweet read that starts out with a grab at your heart but kinda loses it’s punch by the end. The Duke of Granbury loses his wife in childbirth and is suffering so much grief that he doesn’t even wish to see his son but realizes he needs a mother for him. So the search begins for someone who can fill the role of wife and mother without an emotional connection. The book is enjoyable in the long run and a good start for the series. I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Duke's Second Chance is the first installment from the Lords for the Sisters of Sussex series by
Jen Geigle Johnson. I enjoyed this novella. It is a sweet little romance. I loved the chemistry between Gerald and Amelia. Such a cute and clean story!
I am giving The Duke’s Second Chance a well deserved five stars. I highly recommend this book for readers who love to read historical romance, specifically Regency. I look forward to the next book in the Lords for the Sisters of Sussex series.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful read.
Jen has once again written a. Awesome book.

It started off rather sad, the duke loosing his beloved wife in child birth.
After Camilla dies leaving, a new born son & distraught husband.
Duke Gerald takes a walk into a tea rooms.
A sensitive caring ear. is what the Duke needed.
I very much enjoyed this book, it was very busy, with deaths, secrets, discoveries, & love.

So I don't write any spoilers
Please read the authors blurb.

I will be reading the rest of this series.