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The Wishing Well Series
Lucy and the Duke of Secrets
A spirited young lady with a dream. A duke in disguise. A compromising situation.
Penniless and seeking a new start, Lucy Bell sets out to visit her childhood friend at Ashmore Hall. When she finds herself stranded in a barn with a handsome gardener, Lucy thinks her luck may be finally turning. Henry is everything she has ever wanted: charming, caring, and kind.
Arriving at the estate, Lucy is devastated to discover her beloved gardener is actually the duke of Ashmore - a man she despises. She puts her talent for mischief to good use, cheerfully upending the Duke's life at every turn. Lucy is certain of one thing: she loves the gardener, not the duke. But as they match wits, she discovers that the duke may not be the arrogant aristocrat she thought.
When scandal strikes and her past catches up with her, Lucy faces an impossible dilemma. She must decide if love means protecting the people she cares about or risking everything to fight for her happiness...
...for the Duke of Secrets is not the only one wearing a disguise.
♥♥♥
Lucy and the Duke of Secrets is a sweet, light-hearted Regency romp full of witty banter, mischief, and heart-tugging happily ever after.
The Wishing Well Series are standalone novels, though you'll encounter cameos from earlier stories.
Penniless and seeking a new start, Lucy Bell sets out to visit her childhood friend at Ashmore Hall. When she finds herself stranded in a barn with a handsome gardener, Lucy thinks her luck may be finally turning. Henry is everything she has ever wanted: charming, caring, and kind.
Arriving at the estate, Lucy is devastated to discover her beloved gardener is actually the duke of Ashmore - a man she despises. She puts her talent for mischief to good use, cheerfully upending the Duke's life at every turn. Lucy is certain of one thing: she loves the gardener, not the duke. But as they match wits, she discovers that the duke may not be the arrogant aristocrat she thought.
When scandal strikes and her past catches up with her, Lucy faces an impossible dilemma. She must decide if love means protecting the people she cares about or risking everything to fight for her happiness...
...for the Duke of Secrets is not the only one wearing a disguise.
♥♥♥
Lucy and the Duke of Secrets is a sweet, light-hearted Regency romp full of witty banter, mischief, and heart-tugging happily ever after.
The Wishing Well Series are standalone novels, though you'll encounter cameos from earlier stories.
227 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2021
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711 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 287 reviews
October 16, 2025
Henry is 34.
Henry had a younger brother who died at 14. Shortly afterwards, Henry’s sister Arabella was born.
Lucy went to school with Arabella. They shared a room and were best friends, even grew as close as sisters.
Lucy is 28.
How old is Arabella?
And that’s how stupid this book was.
Henry had a younger brother who died at 14. Shortly afterwards, Henry’s sister Arabella was born.
Lucy went to school with Arabella. They shared a room and were best friends, even grew as close as sisters.
Lucy is 28.
How old is Arabella?
And that’s how stupid this book was.
March 21, 2021
This was a cute little story. Lucy was a fun character. There were some writing issues but overall fun to read. This is chaste. I would let my teen read it.
March 4, 2024
If Anne of Green Gables, Pride and Prejudice, and Anastasia had a love child, this would be it. Sofi Laporte is my new auto-buy author. I'm so delighted by her books!!
February 20, 2024
I read it for fun on Valentine's Day. Sweet Regency romance, with some humorous moments.
June 21, 2021
I tripped over this while bouncing around Amazon, looking for a modern Regency that isn’t predictable and/or boring. And oh boy, is this ever NOT predictable or boring! What it is, though, is funny - and not just witty or chuckle-worthy, but laugh till you cry funny. I’d like twenty more just like this, please.
Here’s the premise: penniless Lucy Bell is on her way to visit a schoolfriend, who happens to be the sister to a duke. A duke, moreover, whom Lucy hates with a passion because he got her thrown out of her school where she was entirely happy, and was then left to fend for herself. Which didn’t work out too well, because Lucy is a one-woman tornado, who sows chaos and confusion and catastrophe all around her. Even a simple journey falls apart, for she finds herself stranded some miles from Ashmore Hall, where her friend lives, with night falling and no money for an inn.
But happily, there’s a man loading up a wagon with plants who seems to be going the right way. Surely he’ll give her a lift? At first, he refuses in the most abrupt way, but eventually he relents, and Lucy chatters away to him happily, while he grumps away beside her. She discovers that he’s a gardener at Ashmore Hall, and his name is Henry. He’s handsome, too, which can’t hurt, and she finds she rather likes him, despite the grumping (the blurb describes him as charming, but he really isn’t; tolerant of her mishaps, perhaps, but grumbling constantly). For various wacky reasons (see previous remarks about Lucy the one-woman tornado), they end up spending the night together in a farmer’s barn, and telling stories and (eventually) kissing.
The next morning, she arrives at Ashmore Hall, and after only the minor mishap of being mistaken for a servant and spending the morning cleaning fireplaces and dusting, she is reunited with her friend, Lady Arabella. Henry, meanwhile, disappears about his gardener’s tasks, she supposes. Lucy has arrived just as a house party is getting under way, to finagle the betrothals of the duke to a cold fish aristocrat, and Arabella to a beautiful but soulless lord. Reluctantly, Lucy is drawn into the house party, where she is shocked to discover that Henry, the grumpily charming and very kissable gardener, is actually the icily cold and rigidly polite Duke of Ashmore, who fails even to acknowledge their previous acquaintance. The reader is slightly less shocked by this discovery, since it is given away in the book’s blurb, so I’m not revealing spoilers here.
From then onwards, Lucy unleashes her disruptive force all over the duke’s household, but particularly at the duke himself. I won’t spoil the surprise by revealing everything she does, but it’s gloriously funny, and culminates in a humdinger of a row between the two of them, at midnight, and in full view of half the household. It’s absolutely wonderful, and when the dowager duchess describes it as a lover’s quarrel, she’s absolutely right, because it crackles with that kind of tension. Lucy’s problem is that she’s in love with Henry the gardener, with whom she feels she could actually aspire to marriage, but still hates the duke, who is obnoxious towards her at every verse end. And Henry’s problem is that old chestnut, a hero who doesn’t realise he’s in love at all. Silly man.
And then everything turns soggy. A certain amount of misunderstanding or keeping of secrets I can accept, but there comes a point in any book where the protagonists, if they are sensible, sit down and talk things through. They don’t continue to not tell each other vital pieces of information, and they don’t, under any circumstances, do noble, self-sacrificing things for the other’s good. Nor do they withhold exciting news when they have it, or leave the object of their affection stewing in misery. So although it comes right in the end, I wasn’t happy about it at all.
Sofi Laporte seems to be a new author, and I for one will certainly be reading more of her work. If this is a debut, it’s a brilliantly accomplished one. I’d have given it five stars, despite the implausibility of some of it, but that soggy ending and a high level of editing errors keeps it to four.
Here’s the premise: penniless Lucy Bell is on her way to visit a schoolfriend, who happens to be the sister to a duke. A duke, moreover, whom Lucy hates with a passion because he got her thrown out of her school where she was entirely happy, and was then left to fend for herself. Which didn’t work out too well, because Lucy is a one-woman tornado, who sows chaos and confusion and catastrophe all around her. Even a simple journey falls apart, for she finds herself stranded some miles from Ashmore Hall, where her friend lives, with night falling and no money for an inn.
But happily, there’s a man loading up a wagon with plants who seems to be going the right way. Surely he’ll give her a lift? At first, he refuses in the most abrupt way, but eventually he relents, and Lucy chatters away to him happily, while he grumps away beside her. She discovers that he’s a gardener at Ashmore Hall, and his name is Henry. He’s handsome, too, which can’t hurt, and she finds she rather likes him, despite the grumping (the blurb describes him as charming, but he really isn’t; tolerant of her mishaps, perhaps, but grumbling constantly). For various wacky reasons (see previous remarks about Lucy the one-woman tornado), they end up spending the night together in a farmer’s barn, and telling stories and (eventually) kissing.
The next morning, she arrives at Ashmore Hall, and after only the minor mishap of being mistaken for a servant and spending the morning cleaning fireplaces and dusting, she is reunited with her friend, Lady Arabella. Henry, meanwhile, disappears about his gardener’s tasks, she supposes. Lucy has arrived just as a house party is getting under way, to finagle the betrothals of the duke to a cold fish aristocrat, and Arabella to a beautiful but soulless lord. Reluctantly, Lucy is drawn into the house party, where she is shocked to discover that Henry, the grumpily charming and very kissable gardener, is actually the icily cold and rigidly polite Duke of Ashmore, who fails even to acknowledge their previous acquaintance. The reader is slightly less shocked by this discovery, since it is given away in the book’s blurb, so I’m not revealing spoilers here.
From then onwards, Lucy unleashes her disruptive force all over the duke’s household, but particularly at the duke himself. I won’t spoil the surprise by revealing everything she does, but it’s gloriously funny, and culminates in a humdinger of a row between the two of them, at midnight, and in full view of half the household. It’s absolutely wonderful, and when the dowager duchess describes it as a lover’s quarrel, she’s absolutely right, because it crackles with that kind of tension. Lucy’s problem is that she’s in love with Henry the gardener, with whom she feels she could actually aspire to marriage, but still hates the duke, who is obnoxious towards her at every verse end. And Henry’s problem is that old chestnut, a hero who doesn’t realise he’s in love at all. Silly man.
And then everything turns soggy. A certain amount of misunderstanding or keeping of secrets I can accept, but there comes a point in any book where the protagonists, if they are sensible, sit down and talk things through. They don’t continue to not tell each other vital pieces of information, and they don’t, under any circumstances, do noble, self-sacrificing things for the other’s good. Nor do they withhold exciting news when they have it, or leave the object of their affection stewing in misery. So although it comes right in the end, I wasn’t happy about it at all.
Sofi Laporte seems to be a new author, and I for one will certainly be reading more of her work. If this is a debut, it’s a brilliantly accomplished one. I’d have given it five stars, despite the implausibility of some of it, but that soggy ending and a high level of editing errors keeps it to four.
July 3, 2024
Charming and fun and a perfect “doing mindless things” listen! I really enjoy Sofi Laporte’s characters and storylines. Very Georgette Heyer!
March 31, 2024
Sweet little book. I loved Lucy so much, such a spunk. ♥️ Easy read but Sofi takes you back in time.
February 1, 2021
Annoying Heroine
I read a lot of Regency romance, and I would consider it to be my absolutely favorite subgenre of romance. This book turned me off right away. The heroine came across as so silly and stupid that I think I just kept reading to see if it would continue to be a trainwreck. And it was. In the very first scene, she's in dire straits because she missed her coach on her way to her friend’s because the previous coach had an accident and she didn't make it to town in time to make her connection. When she eventually is able to hitch a ride to where she needs to go, she can't stop yammering on about the stupidest things, even though the surly but kind-enough-to-help-a-damsel-in-distress stranger wants her to. She annoyed me no end. The author's use of language was just wrong as well, putting far too many modern phrases in her characters' mouths too often. It didn't read like a true Regency to me at all except for the whole “the hero is a duke and the heroine is a gentlewoman” thing. With so many Regency romances out there written by fantastic writers, I suggest you find another book.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
I read a lot of Regency romance, and I would consider it to be my absolutely favorite subgenre of romance. This book turned me off right away. The heroine came across as so silly and stupid that I think I just kept reading to see if it would continue to be a trainwreck. And it was. In the very first scene, she's in dire straits because she missed her coach on her way to her friend’s because the previous coach had an accident and she didn't make it to town in time to make her connection. When she eventually is able to hitch a ride to where she needs to go, she can't stop yammering on about the stupidest things, even though the surly but kind-enough-to-help-a-damsel-in-distress stranger wants her to. She annoyed me no end. The author's use of language was just wrong as well, putting far too many modern phrases in her characters' mouths too often. It didn't read like a true Regency to me at all except for the whole “the hero is a duke and the heroine is a gentlewoman” thing. With so many Regency romances out there written by fantastic writers, I suggest you find another book.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
June 20, 2023
This story is an adorable, heartwarming romance filled with humor and a lovable protagonist that's easy to cheer on. If you're searching for a charming and uplifting read, this is the perfect choice for you. Laughter and tears are guaranteed, but above all, you'll find yourself falling in love with the story... Sweet/clean romance.
April 7, 2024
3.5 stars
I'm getting addicted to this writer. Great literature she is not, but her short humorous regencies are wonderfully entertaining. I finish one and immediately logon to Amazon to buy another. There are still a few I haven't read yet. The anticipation is a pleasant buzz in my head.
I'm getting addicted to this writer. Great literature she is not, but her short humorous regencies are wonderfully entertaining. I finish one and immediately logon to Amazon to buy another. There are still a few I haven't read yet. The anticipation is a pleasant buzz in my head.
July 9, 2024
Super charming regency era story. A little reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice, and definitely not a literary masterpiece, but charming nonetheless.
September 11, 2021
This was a 5 but when one gets almost to the end and the heroine rejects the hero AGAIN. This time with mean hateful words, I felt it with him. My heart didn't recover enough with just two lousy chapters left for a stupid happily ever after.
There were some editing problems but the story was engaging and funny. I had no problem skipping over them. The historical errors bothered me a bit more. In what world would a Duke and female house guest have a shouting match with her barefoot and in a nightgown and it not be scandal? It played into the many catastrophes Lucy brought in her wake and showed how the Duke was falling in love. I let that go too. Lucy had too many secrets. All through the book more would come out with each of her rejections. There was just one too many.
I don't know if I'll read the next book since the peek has the duke's sister applying to be a governess, a 14 yr old interviewing her and ends with her seeing a naked man outside.
Seriously?
There were some editing problems but the story was engaging and funny. I had no problem skipping over them. The historical errors bothered me a bit more. In what world would a Duke and female house guest have a shouting match with her barefoot and in a nightgown and it not be scandal? It played into the many catastrophes Lucy brought in her wake and showed how the Duke was falling in love. I let that go too. Lucy had too many secrets. All through the book more would come out with each of her rejections. There was just one too many.
I don't know if I'll read the next book since the peek has the duke's sister applying to be a governess, a 14 yr old interviewing her and ends with her seeing a naked man outside.
Seriously?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2022
I can't tell you enough about how much I've been enjoying this book. Over the last 48 hrs, I returned it to Kindle Unlimited twice, then kept re-borrowing it -- I'm finally just going to keep it on-hand for a while while I dip in for amusement.
Very few books I will immediately begin rereading sections and scenes of, but this is one of them. The progression is nuanced and the pacing is perfection.
The fMC is a coherent mix of flighty, flinty, compassionate, bright, impish, and rash. It's amusing as hell to listen to her thoughts making sense of things as she makes her way through the story.
The mMC is satisfactorily brought under her sway and the wily Dowager Duchess is delighted at the fMC's stirring-up both the staid manor and her grandson, the duke.
The story is rich in secondary characters who are distinct and about whom you care.
I highly rec and hope you enjoy.
Very few books I will immediately begin rereading sections and scenes of, but this is one of them. The progression is nuanced and the pacing is perfection.
The fMC is a coherent mix of flighty, flinty, compassionate, bright, impish, and rash. It's amusing as hell to listen to her thoughts making sense of things as she makes her way through the story.
The mMC is satisfactorily brought under her sway and the wily Dowager Duchess is delighted at the fMC's stirring-up both the staid manor and her grandson, the duke.
The story is rich in secondary characters who are distinct and about whom you care.
I highly rec and hope you enjoy.
October 14, 2021
4.5*. This is a new author for me and I wasn’t disappointed. This story was full of humor and had the sweet romance I can’t seem to get enough of. The only reason it wasn’t a solid 5* were the grammatical mistakes. There weren’t many, but enough to take it down a 1/2* There was 1 bad word that I noticed, and no inappropriate content. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
April 25, 2024
Not too bad! I quite enjoyed it!
Just a note: if the backstory is less convoluted there wouldn’t be a need for such an unrealistic solution at the end. It all got a touch fantastic for me. And a little too much explained in dialogue rather than happening on the page.
But this is the first book I read in a long while and it held my attention well!
Just a note: if the backstory is less convoluted there wouldn’t be a need for such an unrealistic solution at the end. It all got a touch fantastic for me. And a little too much explained in dialogue rather than happening on the page.
But this is the first book I read in a long while and it held my attention well!
April 24, 2022
This was a cute, sweet regency romance. It takes a lot of interesting twists and turns and is surprisingly quite unpredictable! I did have an eye roll moment when the heroine spoke of being an actress on the stage. There is nothing about her, aside from being very much a chatterbox, that would suggest it so it felt very contrived (and honestly, unnecessary) to add this to her history that is already kinda crazy. But hey... this is fiction!
I did like Henry and his story was interesting. I would have liked to have seen a confrontation between Louisa and Lucy of some sort, or even to have overheard a bit of what Henry told Louisa at the ball. There was something missing in that tension that needed to come out. That may have helped. I kinda wanted to see Louisa put up a bit of a fight when she realizes she might be losing the duke's affections to Lucy.
Overall, I really liked this story and will check out the other titles in the series to see how the other girls get their happy endings. Grammar and vocabulary issues. Zero steam. Chaste kisses only.
I did like Henry and his story was interesting. I would have liked to have seen a confrontation between Louisa and Lucy of some sort, or even to have overheard a bit of what Henry told Louisa at the ball. There was something missing in that tension that needed to come out. That may have helped. I kinda wanted to see Louisa put up a bit of a fight when she realizes she might be losing the duke's affections to Lucy.
Overall, I really liked this story and will check out the other titles in the series to see how the other girls get their happy endings. Grammar and vocabulary issues. Zero steam. Chaste kisses only.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2023
3.00 this was a bit lacklustre, it wasn't bad, but the writing and plot devices weren't as good as her Merry Spinsters, Charming Rogues , but I guess that was to be expected this being her debut novel. It was still interesting, in the sense that I could see the diamond in the rough that Sofi Laporte's writing was when this book came out and how much her storytelling has improved. However, this novel suffers from a stupid-main-character syndrome and silly-third-act-break-up, still, some parts were very funny, Laporte's witty humour making me crack a smile. Probably one of the reasons I didn't enjoy it as much as was the voice acting in the audiobook, it wasn't bad per se (it was quite good) but the narrator had one of those voices that just don't sit well with my tastes,
November 13, 2021
Fun and Saucy Lucy 💃💋
I loved this fun and fast paced book about Lucy,💃💋 a former class mate of her friend Arabella, the sister of a Duke. Lucy💃💋, a poor aristocrat, has nowhere else to go, so she makes her way to her only real friend, Arabella's estate🏰, where her uptight brother rules as Duke🐺. He needs a little humor and unexpected events in his staid life, and Lucy💃💋 complies. That's just the way she is!
This is one of the better Regency 💕 Romances I have read this year.
I loved this fun and fast paced book about Lucy,💃💋 a former class mate of her friend Arabella, the sister of a Duke. Lucy💃💋, a poor aristocrat, has nowhere else to go, so she makes her way to her only real friend, Arabella's estate🏰, where her uptight brother rules as Duke🐺. He needs a little humor and unexpected events in his staid life, and Lucy💃💋 complies. That's just the way she is!
This is one of the better Regency 💕 Romances I have read this year.
May 27, 2022
Stinking cute. Seriously. I needed something light and lovely and this scratched that itch!
Lucy was a fun heroine, easy to like and easy to root for. Other characters were not entirely well developed, but I didn't really care. I was having fun!
Quite predictable as far as the genre goes, but there's comfort in that sometimes. 3.5 stars and excited to read the next one!
Lucy was a fun heroine, easy to like and easy to root for. Other characters were not entirely well developed, but I didn't really care. I was having fun!
Quite predictable as far as the genre goes, but there's comfort in that sometimes. 3.5 stars and excited to read the next one!
June 5, 2023
I liked the characters and storyline for this book. The girl was much like Anne of Green Gables - talking non-stop and saying the first thing that pops into her head. The various situations that cropped up and the bantering back and forth were fun.
This isn't a Christian book, which I didn't realize going into it. There are a few instances of swearing early on in the book, but it's otherwise completely clean.
This isn't a Christian book, which I didn't realize going into it. There are a few instances of swearing early on in the book, but it's otherwise completely clean.
October 23, 2022
My first book by Sofi Laporte. I really enjoyed it and the audio narrator as well. I wouldn't have minded a little more from the last couple of chapters, but I don't know what that would have been. Still, this is one I may listen to again in the future.
April 30, 2021
I really enjoyed this reading and looking forward to reading more of her work.
@tisonlyme143
@tisonlyme143
September 15, 2024
Such an amazing book! Would recommend
May 14, 2025
this book was all over the place
December 13, 2024
2.5 stars rounded up
Wouldn’t have finished if it wasn’t so short
Wouldn’t have finished if it wasn’t so short
May 31, 2025
While I was reading I def felt like Lucy (fmc) was basically Anne Shirley from green gables. I enjoyed this lol
February 6, 2021
This was my first experience with this author and I hope it will not be the last. I really thoroughly enjoyed the banter and wit of this book.
Lucy was always getting into mischief. On her way to surprise her friend, Lady Ariabella, from school, she met "Henry the Gardener". Soon she learned that "Henry" was actually the Duke, Lady Ariabella's older brother. Lucy hated Dukes, especially this one. He was rude, pompous, and ill-tempered and she wanted nothing to do with him. Well, she really needed him to write her a letter of recommendation and then she would be out of his hair for good.
The banter between Henry and Lucy was fun and entertaining and I loved how the story resolved itself in the end. It was a sweet, funny, clean, wholesome regency romance. I am looking forward to reading more in this series. I can't wait to find out what awaits Ariabella.
I was given an arc copy of this book and I willingly offer my honest review.
Lucy was always getting into mischief. On her way to surprise her friend, Lady Ariabella, from school, she met "Henry the Gardener". Soon she learned that "Henry" was actually the Duke, Lady Ariabella's older brother. Lucy hated Dukes, especially this one. He was rude, pompous, and ill-tempered and she wanted nothing to do with him. Well, she really needed him to write her a letter of recommendation and then she would be out of his hair for good.
The banter between Henry and Lucy was fun and entertaining and I loved how the story resolved itself in the end. It was a sweet, funny, clean, wholesome regency romance. I am looking forward to reading more in this series. I can't wait to find out what awaits Ariabella.
I was given an arc copy of this book and I willingly offer my honest review.
April 5, 2022
Cute, clean historical romance
My first ebook! I just got an Amazon Fire tablet and this was my first Prime Reading download. Aside from several typos, this was a fun, quick read that is very light. If the characters had more depth, it would have been more memorable but unfortunately there wasn't much to the plot. No sexy times.
My first ebook! I just got an Amazon Fire tablet and this was my first Prime Reading download. Aside from several typos, this was a fun, quick read that is very light. If the characters had more depth, it would have been more memorable but unfortunately there wasn't much to the plot. No sexy times.
May 15, 2024
This story has a lot of charm, but the reader must—absolutely must—park belief at the door. It is a fairy tale, but well told. It is a yarn filled with unbelievable events that are good-hearted and often sweet. There are parts that are a bit over the top, but again, it is a fairy tale, and odd events and behaviors are to be expected.
I like the theme of this series, a wishing well. At the beginning of the book, four coins are tossed into the wishing well with a wish made upon each of them, one for each girl…coincidentally, one for each of the books in the series. It is a unique thread that ties the series together and I find myself fascinated by it.
Our hero, Henry Astley, the Duke of Ashmore, has a great secret. Our heroine, Lucy Bell, is a jabber-jaws of a girl who cannot stop talking to save her own life. She jabbers on and on about everything and nothing. In the first few chapters this was endearing and humorous, but the character did not evolve, and her persistent chatter became an irritant.
Lucy discovers the duke’s secret early on and is mystified over what appears to be his dual nature; on one hand he is warm and humorous and on the other, cold and aloof. She has a hard time figuring out which is the real man. They both are, of course. The duke is complex. I wish the writer had shown us more of his complexities, but we get that he has a lot going on in his life and thoughts.
By mid-book, Lucy’s endearing chatterbox charm had become exhausting. As Lucy’s life unfolds, we are met with such an improbable history that it is cartoonish. Henry’s dual nature is fascinating…to a point, then his indifference gets old. His behaviors become redundant and unnecessarily complicated. Complex is good, complicated less so. Both are rude to each other, saying hurtful things, sallying forth and thrusting, then turning away. A game of joust.
Grandmama, the dowager duchess, steals the show. She is relentlessly rude but doesn’t cross the line into cruelty. She laughs at her station in life and seems to enjoy sitting back and watching the antics of her class. She is an interesting character and I’d love to have read more of her in the story.
The Regency years are a little difficult to nail down. Historians vary widely on its precise beginning and end. Most equate it to the prince regent who was crowned George IV in 1820, thus ending the regency period. However, since “Regency” also applies to the fashions, architecture, and mores of the time, a wider range is generally accepted, 1800-1830, although some authorities have the era starting in the 1790s. Writers of the Regency era, IMHO, would do well to emulate the 1800-1830 timeframe, something that requires a good deal of research.
The writer uses some terms that are outside the Regency era. For example, the writer has Lucy tell Henry, “…but you have to see the silver lining in this situation.” While John Milton, in his play, “Comus,” used the term, “silver lining,” it was not meant the way Lucy uses it. Milton writes in 1634, “…did a sable cloud turn forth her silver lining on the night?” He’s referring to the moon shining through clouds. In 1843, it is Thomas Warton who wrote a commentary on the play and used the phrase in a way that is closer to its modern meaning. From 1843 forward, it became a phrase used more commonly.
There are some punctuation errors, but not many. For instance, “Before Lucy could answer ‘I am Miss Lucy Bell, a guest of Lady Arabella…’” requires a comma after “answer.” It should read, “Before Lucy could answer, ‘I am Miss Lucy Bell, a guest of Lady Arabella…’”
An incorrect word is used here: “A deep, red flushed crept up Henry’s throat.” There are a couple ways to correct this. The word, “flush” is used as a verb here, in competition with the next verb, “crept.” One of them is superfluous. “Flush” is also a noun and if employed as such, this would read, “A deep, red flush crept up Henry’s throat.” The writer could also have chosen to use “flush” as a verb, as in, “A deep red flushed Henry’s throat,” where “red” is now a noun. I prefer the first, but it would be the writer’s choice, of course.
When words must be hyphenated at the end of a sentence and split onto the next line, this hyphenation is sometimes odd. For instance, the word, “kiss,” displays as “kis-s” which is very odd. And the name, “Hilversham” is hyphenated “Hilvers-ham,” also odd. Which words will split at the end of a line is dependent on eReader settings for font and layout sizes. However, the manner in which they are hyphenated is part of the general behavior programmed in an electronic book. Truly, this may be out of the writer’s hands, but is still annoying.
I rated this book 3.5 stars and rounded up. To my mind, it is a solid 3.5 stars. It is better than an average read (3 stars), but not quite a 4-star read. However, it has a great deal of appeal, the characters are strong, and the Grandmama dowager duchess is exemplary. If we accept that it is like a fairy tale, then we can accept some of the strange bends in the tale. The story is a pleasant afternoon read, curled up with some chocolate, perhaps…? This is also a well edited book, and this alone is a wonderful gift when so many books, particularly in our Romance genre, are written without benefit of a good edit. So…remember the four coins tossed into the wishing well? At the end of the book’s epilogue, three coins now glitter at the bottom of the well. One of the coins does not. Now isn’t that a fascinating premise encouraging us to find out about the next girl in our series, Arabella, the duke’s sister? I’m on my way to read it now.
I like the theme of this series, a wishing well. At the beginning of the book, four coins are tossed into the wishing well with a wish made upon each of them, one for each girl…coincidentally, one for each of the books in the series. It is a unique thread that ties the series together and I find myself fascinated by it.
Our hero, Henry Astley, the Duke of Ashmore, has a great secret. Our heroine, Lucy Bell, is a jabber-jaws of a girl who cannot stop talking to save her own life. She jabbers on and on about everything and nothing. In the first few chapters this was endearing and humorous, but the character did not evolve, and her persistent chatter became an irritant.
Lucy discovers the duke’s secret early on and is mystified over what appears to be his dual nature; on one hand he is warm and humorous and on the other, cold and aloof. She has a hard time figuring out which is the real man. They both are, of course. The duke is complex. I wish the writer had shown us more of his complexities, but we get that he has a lot going on in his life and thoughts.
By mid-book, Lucy’s endearing chatterbox charm had become exhausting. As Lucy’s life unfolds, we are met with such an improbable history that it is cartoonish. Henry’s dual nature is fascinating…to a point, then his indifference gets old. His behaviors become redundant and unnecessarily complicated. Complex is good, complicated less so. Both are rude to each other, saying hurtful things, sallying forth and thrusting, then turning away. A game of joust.
Grandmama, the dowager duchess, steals the show. She is relentlessly rude but doesn’t cross the line into cruelty. She laughs at her station in life and seems to enjoy sitting back and watching the antics of her class. She is an interesting character and I’d love to have read more of her in the story.
The Regency years are a little difficult to nail down. Historians vary widely on its precise beginning and end. Most equate it to the prince regent who was crowned George IV in 1820, thus ending the regency period. However, since “Regency” also applies to the fashions, architecture, and mores of the time, a wider range is generally accepted, 1800-1830, although some authorities have the era starting in the 1790s. Writers of the Regency era, IMHO, would do well to emulate the 1800-1830 timeframe, something that requires a good deal of research.
The writer uses some terms that are outside the Regency era. For example, the writer has Lucy tell Henry, “…but you have to see the silver lining in this situation.” While John Milton, in his play, “Comus,” used the term, “silver lining,” it was not meant the way Lucy uses it. Milton writes in 1634, “…did a sable cloud turn forth her silver lining on the night?” He’s referring to the moon shining through clouds. In 1843, it is Thomas Warton who wrote a commentary on the play and used the phrase in a way that is closer to its modern meaning. From 1843 forward, it became a phrase used more commonly.
There are some punctuation errors, but not many. For instance, “Before Lucy could answer ‘I am Miss Lucy Bell, a guest of Lady Arabella…’” requires a comma after “answer.” It should read, “Before Lucy could answer, ‘I am Miss Lucy Bell, a guest of Lady Arabella…’”
An incorrect word is used here: “A deep, red flushed crept up Henry’s throat.” There are a couple ways to correct this. The word, “flush” is used as a verb here, in competition with the next verb, “crept.” One of them is superfluous. “Flush” is also a noun and if employed as such, this would read, “A deep, red flush crept up Henry’s throat.” The writer could also have chosen to use “flush” as a verb, as in, “A deep red flushed Henry’s throat,” where “red” is now a noun. I prefer the first, but it would be the writer’s choice, of course.
When words must be hyphenated at the end of a sentence and split onto the next line, this hyphenation is sometimes odd. For instance, the word, “kiss,” displays as “kis-s” which is very odd. And the name, “Hilversham” is hyphenated “Hilvers-ham,” also odd. Which words will split at the end of a line is dependent on eReader settings for font and layout sizes. However, the manner in which they are hyphenated is part of the general behavior programmed in an electronic book. Truly, this may be out of the writer’s hands, but is still annoying.
I rated this book 3.5 stars and rounded up. To my mind, it is a solid 3.5 stars. It is better than an average read (3 stars), but not quite a 4-star read. However, it has a great deal of appeal, the characters are strong, and the Grandmama dowager duchess is exemplary. If we accept that it is like a fairy tale, then we can accept some of the strange bends in the tale. The story is a pleasant afternoon read, curled up with some chocolate, perhaps…? This is also a well edited book, and this alone is a wonderful gift when so many books, particularly in our Romance genre, are written without benefit of a good edit. So…remember the four coins tossed into the wishing well? At the end of the book’s epilogue, three coins now glitter at the bottom of the well. One of the coins does not. Now isn’t that a fascinating premise encouraging us to find out about the next girl in our series, Arabella, the duke’s sister? I’m on my way to read it now.
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