The Redemption of the Scared Duchess by Emma Linfield

The Redemption of the Scared Duchess Reviews

• 
  Joan

  Clunky formatting which makes reading awkward, 2D characters with no development and a virtually incomprehensible plot. I don’t care enough about anyone to want to read on.
  
  dnf at 57%
• 
  Courtney

  Okay
  
  I don't know if it's just because I had such a connection to a previously read book, or if I just am not in the mood for a novel such as this one- but I did not feel the pull to this novel that I normally do when I am reading a new novel. I will definitely have to try again later.
• 
  Space Cowgirl

  Jealousy💔, Arson 🔥, and Crime🔫 in Jolly Old England
  
  A Chaste Regency Romance 💘
  
  Juliana💃💋 is the youngest daughter of the Viscount Cobham, a man who has rumor and scandal surrounding him. Rumor has it her father has spent and lost his entire fortune. The invitations to The ton dances have dried up, except one to her friend Susanne's engagement party. Her father needs 💰money. He needs to get his daughters married off to wealthy men.
  
  Juliana💃💋 steps on a gentleman's toe in the crush, and he whisks her away to a walk in the garden. They get along very well, she enjoys his company. He is Martin Huntington🐺🍆🌋, the Duke of Brandon, but she doesn't know him.
  
  At the dining table, Martin's second brother, Cecil👹, an evil conniving man who her father owes money to, starts to announce his out of The blue betrothal to Juliana💃💋, but Martin🐺🍆🌋 steps in and announces his own betrothal to her! Saved By The bell! But is she?
  
  ARC Received via Bookfunnel.
  
  I really enjoyed this book because there was the jealousy between the two brothers , over Juliana💃💋, and the evil plotting between Cecil👹 and Juliana's father. Her father, in his desperate desire to get out of debt and get his fortune back, falls into an evil conspiracy with Cecil Huntington👹, the second son. They begin to commit crimes together, Cecil👹 wants to kill Martin🐺🍆🌋, so he can become The Duke, and he tries to make is seen like an accident at first.
  💘Loved the whole well written and fast paced book, but I was disappointed in the outcome of the way the two conspirators were made to pay for all of their crimes.
• 
  Gerda

  The plot is utter rubbish. It is an accumulation of arson, attempted murder by pistol and another by manipulating the carriage wheels, illegal restraint, domestic abuse, blackmail, rape, all these criminal activities are stringed together by the romance between the Duke of Brandon and Juliana,the youngest daughter of Viscount Cobham, a heavily indebted man, who is determined to marry off his daughter to the highest bidder.
  There were so many inconsistencies that I lost the desire to read the whole story and started skimming.
  
  The story starts with Marianne Middelton's engagement ball to Baron Allan. Two days later said baron jilts her because he thinks she plotted along with her best friend Juliana to lure his cousin, Martin Duke of Brandon, to an engagement. Next chapter, Marianne's father blackmails Allan to break up the engagement otherwise he would spread a rumour about Allan's illegitimite birth. Instead of seeking advise or asking his mother Allan caves in like a boy still wet behind his ears. He should know that as long as he is registered in the church register as the son of a baron born in wedlock nobody could take his title. Why did Mr. Middleton agree to the engagement and even gave a ball?
  
  The duke gets to know Juliana during the engagemant ball and when her father starts announcing her engagement to Cecil, the duke's brother, he steps in and declares himself the fiancé. Next day he starts to doubt her, suspects her to have trapped him.....and this mistrusting goes on.
  
  Juliana hurts her ankle but that doesn't hinder her from running and flying down the stairs.
  
  Martin is expelled from White's for undetermined time but has no problems entering that esteemed establishment the next day.
  
  The three sisters go to the opera without any chaperone.
  
  Neither language nor behaviour reflect the Regency age.
  
  There were too many plotlines, unnessessary ones which were not explained or solved, poorly developed characters, and a very sudden not satisfying ending.
  
  The book ends at 88% on my kindle, then the reader gets the first chapters of another novel.
• 
  Elizabeth Connor

  One of the things I enjoy most about Emma Linfield’s stories is how unusual they are. This one had me on the edge of my seat. It was unlike any historical romance I have read before, with some seriously evil characters and shocking plot twists. The plot was fast-paced and the heroine was clever and courageous. As Juliana faced each new challenge I found myself trying to think of solutions for her, and never once did she fail to rise to the challenge and come up with something equal or better than what I had conceived.
  
  The only complaint I had was that a tertiary story of Susanne and Allan was incomplete. Since this wasn't their story, I can't let it color my view of this book. It was right to leave the focus on Juliana and Martin. However, I am really hoping there may be a future story for Susanne and Allan; I think there's potential for another great story of intrigue.
  
  There were so many wonderful themes explored in this book. Secrets and failure to communicate create more problems than they solve. Sometimes people are so concerned with what others may think, they hide the things that may actually clarify confusion. Forgiveness and trust are also examined, as well as the importance of family. Were I an English literature teacher, I could have my students mine the depths of this story, expounding upon class differences, misogyny and the subjugation of women, social conscriptions, and failures of the criminal justice system, to name a few. Suffice to say, this book reminded me just how grateful I am to live today and not then. I highly recommend this book!
• 
  Laila Viking

  A very well written story with nice storyline and plot. The characters are likeable and well described. They develop nicely through the story. Their passion and chemistry is well described. The story flows well of the pages and has a nice pace to it. Would have liked it to be a bit shorter because there sometimes are a bit too much filling.
  It is captivating and enjoyable to read and the author has made her research of the time period. I like when the events and language are true to the time period the story is written in.
  A story about two characters that have to find their own HEA and that have to overcome and fight a lot that fate throws down at them. A mix of drama, danger, love, unexpected twists and turn. Emotional ups and downs. All makes the reader sit on the edge to know more.
• 
  Devon Lawson

  This was a wonderful read! Juliana draws you in from the very beginning. She was so refreshing as the young woman who strove to have the truth and didn't want to play the societal games that were expected of her. This was a great example of how perception can ruin someone, no matter how hard they try to do the right thing. Highly recommend!
• 
  Cyndi

  Good book ..great main characters and the other persons involved to help make this a very nice read..captured my attenion and kept it till the end ...good job
• 
  Emily Pennington

  Susanne Middleton took the arm of her friend, Juliana Birks, to lead her into the gardens and away from her father, Viscount Cobham, whose reputation of gambling away the family’s wealth had preceded him. She wanted to move her away from the gossip which had surely started. But Susanne’s betrothed waited to dance with her and Juliana would not allow her to miss it. She would have loved a walk in the garden, but being unchaperoned was not proper.
  
  When Juliana tried to spot her sisters on the dance floor, she bumped into a gentleman, stepping on his foot. He rudely asked which man she was looking for, stated all the reasons he would not be appropriate, and she accused him of having no manners. He said all women were looking for money and a man to give it to her. But this time she noticed the hidden pain in his eyes.
  
  They made their way to the garden – he never told her his name and simply was enjoying her company. He told her she was not the typical simpering maiden and they laughed together easily. He was amused when she said she reserved her simpering for those with good breeding so as not to waste it, because those with big titles have the biggest ego and require such attentions. Simpering had to be saved for at least a Duke, she said; maybe a Marquess if he had a fortune, referring back to his comments about women seeking money and a man. She again saw pain, so she blew out the lantern feeling he could more comfortably express his thoughts in the dim light to a stranger without stress. She asked what he ran from, and he could more easily tell her the truth without looking into her face. She told him her fears as well. Then she saw her sisters in the doorway, searching for her and she thanked him for the walk and left.
  
  At dinner, Juliana looked around for her stranger. Her father came in with a man she very much disliked – Cecil Huntington. He made her feel violated by his lewd looks, and she knew he had spread the rumors about her father. Cecil was evil! She was feeling suspicious, especially when her sisters held her arms to prevent her from leaving before her father’s big “announcement”. She was being “sold” to pay her father’s debts and fund her sisters’ dowries! Her father stood and began to announce her betrothal, joining the Birks and Huntington houses, to … and her stranger appeared, took her hand, and said, “to myself, Martin Huntington, Duke of Brandon.” Then he pulled her into his arms!
  
  Cecil was waiting for Martin when he came home. Cecil was in a rage over Martin “stealing his bride”. Martin simply asked why he was after her since money was not going to come his way from her father. How far would Cecil go to break up his brother’s engagement? Was the Duke intending to actually go through with the marriage? Or was it only to protect Juliana when he saw the fear and loathing in her eyes when her father was ready to hand her over to Cecil?
  
  This book had so many things going on and the suspense drove the story line at a great pace. The characters were presented to the reader so well that they seemed almost real people. The plot against Martin and Juliana is only just beginning. The secrets will come out! You won’t want to miss the escalating excitement of this wonderful book!
  
• 
  Patricia Solla

  An interesting tale of a young woman being forced to marry a man she doesn't want to marry. While she knows the man she is to marry, she doesn't really know the man she agrees to marry instead. Juliana Birks is attending a ball, where she unknowingly is about to become engaged, for her best friend Suzanne Middleton is celebrating her engagement. As she is leaving the ballroom to get some fresh air she runs into a man, a cousin of the groom to be, who is intrigued with her and she with hem. Returning to the ballroom, Juliana finds herself confronted by her father who is going to announce her engagement to a man, Cecil Huntington, who she definitely does not want to marry. As Juliana's father goes to announce the engagement the mystery man from the garden steps up and announces he is to marry Juliana and reveals he is the Duke of Brandon, Martin Huntington. Now the fun begins Cecil and Martin are brothers who share no brotherly love. Juliana is being forced to marry by her father who has lost the family's money between gambling and bad investments. The decision to marry the Duke comes with attempts on Juliana's life, a fire at the Duke's home and much more. The storyline continues excitingly with the Duke getting to know Juliana better, Juliana getting help from her sisters, a broken engagement (not Juliana's) and secrets which are to be revealed. The conclusion is quite exciting as the reader finds out exactly what is going on and how it all ends.
• 
  Jeanne Johnston

  Wow. I thought this would go somewhere but the lack of closure at the end was maddeningly unsatisfying.
  
  Flat characters, villains over the top and who totally get off at the end (I thought everyone learned not to give a fuck about what people thought!), and the great hero was so weak and self-pitying that he was incapable of dealing with problems and was incredibly paranoid. Heroine (I use these terms loosely, mind you) kept telling herself to think things through, yet never really managed to do so. Every reaction was like that "Look--a squirrel!" meme. Even when she formulated a plan, she quickly went off script and acted without thinking it through again.
  
  The motivations of the bad guys was ridiculous, the mother was just as bad, and the only redeeming thing was that the vapid sisters redeemed themselves.
  
  Final insult was having to click a link to read the fucking epilogue, having to scroll through a shit ton of them for other books (verdict? LAME shtick), only to have my Kindle crash before I even got to this one. I have to say I don't give a fuck. These people hardly deserve a happy ending.
• 
  Candy Briggs

  Juliana Birks is the youngest daughter of the Viscount Cobham, She is a sweet and likable girl. When she goes out it is her father's reputation that causes a problem. He is a gambler and has lost all the families money. He has even planned to sell her off to Cecil Huntington. As he is about to announce her engagement to Cecil, his brother says she was marrying him. Cecil is angry. The Duke of Brandon, Martin Huntington, needless to say, her family was surprised. Martin is somewhat of a recluse and does not get into town very often, he does not like the ton. He needs a wife and since she looked terrified he stepped in.
  It is a lovely story with all kinds of twists and surprises. The characters are warm and caring except for the bad guys. You can see them growing as they slowly learn about each other and themselves. I especially liked when her sisters came to her room and helped lay out a plan. The tale is well written and runs smoothly. I recommend the book and I look forward to her next.
  I received this ARC from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.
• 
  Sandy Digger

  Very good
  
  This is the story of Julianna and Martin. They met at a ball without knowing who they were. Martin, the Duke, is taken with her and her ways thinking she is a refreshing change from the chits usually thrown at him. He does not trust easily due to his sad family life but thinks Julianna might be different. She returns to the ball and finds her father trying to announce her engagement to a man she despises and is cut off by Martin declaring that she is to be his bride. This infuriates the man her father meant to marry her to, Cecil, who happens to be Martin’s younger brother. This starts a series of unforeseen events that culminate in a surprise ending. Very interesting reading with lots of twists.
• 
  Kaye

  ONE WONDERFUL DELIGHT!!!
  OMG! Talk about fireworks. Emma spins one masterpiece with this baby. The pulse racing, heart pounding, smooth flowing, hard hitting, intrigue and suspense thrusts piece after piece together brilliantly. A whirlwind of unexpected activities and surprising events catapults all of those swirling emotions bursting into play front and center that keeps you flipping page after page. One engaging storyline and gripping plot bring this little gem to life flawlessly. The characters are authentic, relatable and so realistic with depth and individuality you feel apart of the story instead of on the sidelines. The scenes are so vividly detailed it gives the illusion you were right there with them. Remarkable job Emma, thanks for sharing this little gem with us.
• 
  Robin

  I was pleasantly relieved to see this was a story about two people who actually grew to care for each other in a real sense and not due to momentary passions or attraction to things that will fade over time. Both characters were appropriately concerned about the proprieties of the time and I thought that added a lot to the believability of the tale.
  One thing I wasn't sure about was the paranoia of the hero. Why was he like this? It didn't ever become clear to me as I kept reading, and as a result, I kind of got tired of him reacting to things badly. This was the only thing I didn't particularly like about this book and the reason I'm giving it four stars instead of five.
  If you enjoy Regency romance novels, historical romance, and/or clean romance, you should check out this book.
• 
  Holly Bargo

  Inaccuracies mar an adequate story
  
  The author needs to bone up on proper forms of address. The barons mother would be referred to as Lady X, dowager baroness, not Mrs. The sons of a duke retain courtesy titles. Cecil, our villain, would be addressed as my lord, not Mr. Other details don't ring true, for instance a young maid servant with the ability to ride. The concern regarding reputation rings true, except a duke probably wouldn't care all that much. Certainly, a duke would be too powerful to be arrested for just about anything. Other than the gross inaccuracies, some grammar errors showing the need for a competent proofreader, and absurd plot, it's not a bad story. It's just not very good, either.
• 
  Mary

  This is a gripping, suspenseful and romantic story with surprise plot twists and plenty of drama. Martin is reclusive and distrustful. Juliana is strong, smart and determined. Juliana's father is willing to sell her to Cecil, but his brother Martin is not willing to let Cecil have her, which causes more jealousy in Cecil than he already had, and that causes all kinds of problems. The storyline is intense and emotional and the book is hard to put down.
  I received a complimentary copy of this book. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.
• 
  Wendy Tavenner

  Love the book but Martin the Duke of Brandon had way too much trust issues which put Julianna in danger. During Julianna’s best friends engagement ball she meets a man and they walk in the garden and talk. We her sisters find her and bring her back in he father is about to announce her bethrol to a man she can’t stand but the man she spoke to outside announces his engagement to her and saves her. But after hearing her and her father arguing he starts to doubt her and her intentions. So much drama between him, Julianna, his mother aunt and cousin and she with her parents and sisters.
• 
  Laura Hamadi

  The characters were flat. Too many plotlines going on with all these loose ends. I fail to see how the main characters fell in love, as they barely interacted. Really, there was hardly any romance at all besides a few rushed kisses and proclamations of baffling love in the very last pages. We barely got a back story on Marguerite and what caused her to mentally digress. The ending felt rushed, and what the hell happened with Allan and Susanne??? Maybe it's in another book, but I couldn't bring myself to.read another one.
• 
  Sharon

  Scandal and rumors precede Juliana. Drama, intrigue, danger, suspense, love, twists and turns adds to the story of Martin and Juliana. When Juiliana's father is about to announce the engagement of her and Cecil Huntington, his brother, The Duke of Brandon, Martin Huntington, walks up and announces his engagement to Juiliana. Cecil is a scoundrel and Juiliana dislikes him. She has just met Martin and doesn't know him. He saw what was about to happen and decided to save Juiliana. Will they love each other? Will they have a lot to overcome? How will this turn out?
• 
  Michele McMullen

  This was a beautifully written Regency Romance that will take you on a journey with Julianna and Martin . Julianna has the unfortunate chance of becoming a payment for a debt by her father and his gambling and the Duke is willing to rescue her with the payment. We watch as the young sweet woman and Martin begin to know one another and how the trials and pasts of their families have come into play!
  A great story!
  ~~Michele McMullen ~~
• 
  PLP

  Buckle your seat belts!
  
  This book evoked a roller coaster of emotions! I was very irritated with the hero most of the time but it all ended well.
  
  There were two villains in this book but , in my mind, neither one of them got what they deserved. But then I am somewhat blood thirsty. LOL
  
  This book had lots of old scandal, misconceptions, and misunderstandings. Yes a lot of romance novels have misunderstandings, but our characters had some major ones!
  
  A very exciting book.