The Reluctant Duchess: A Novel

Sharon Cullen perfectly captures the spirit of the Victorian murder mystery in her historical romantic suspense: THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS. For the fifth day in a row, Lady Sara Emerson is at the Duke of Rossmoyne’s door asking for an audience. Gabriel Ferguson, “Ross”, as the Duke is known to his friends, shuns society but finally caves in and agrees to see the very persistent Sara. After her cousin Meredith’s burial, Ross has told Sara’s family that if they ever needed his help, he would be there for them; he was betrothed to Meredith, and he understood how distressed they were after her murder. Ross is distraught when Sara shows him the reason for her visit: she has been receiving threatening letters mentioning Meredith’s demise, and Ross agrees to help her, along with the Scotland Yard inspector who investigated the case. If Ross had thought Sara determined, he never expected the quiet, bookish spinster to be such a force of nature. The Duke is a rather haughty man, and even two years after the death of his fiancée, he has remained dour. Unassuming Sara is the polar opposite of Meredith, and yet he finds himself drawn to her, even more so as Sara’s safety becomes paramount, and he insists that living in his home would offer her more protection. THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS is as much a romance as it is a Victorian murder mystery, and Ms. Cullen succeeds on both counts. The pace is somewhat leisurely as Ross and Sara investigate the murder, and doing so, they get to know each other better. In spite of their first impressions, they discover that they have a lot in common, but for the persistent shadow of Meredith. THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS has a rather Gothic feel, which surprised and delighted me, and I applaud the author’s thorough research as she paints a most convincing portrait of Victorian society in all its aspects. The characters feel authentic, the romance evolves organically albeit not so smoothly, and I was kept guessing until the end as to whom the murderer was. Very well done! I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Sara was orphaned as a child and led a good life with her uncle and his family. Tragedy struck again, causing the family to separate; it also led to grief for the young Duke of Rossmoyne. Years later the horror has returned... A frightening mystery and budding romance lead to an enjoyable read. (Would like to learn how Sara's dream turned out!) Received book free thru Netgalley for honest review.

The heroin asked of duke about his bethrod being murder jelous admirer the both at the love each other. Shes very shy and his duke fall in w/her when leave w/him in his house I love kind stry cry, laugh , get mad caused crazy in lov.