📖Book Review ~ A Tale of Two Dukes by Emma Orchard

Boldwood Books 
20 September 2025

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

 

No one is more surprised than Viola, Duchess of Winterflood, when she receives an offer of marriage from a man she’s not seen in over a decade. An independent widow, close to thirty, with two rambunctious boys, Viola has no obvious reason to accept the new Lord Ventris’s proposal. And yet… within two weeks, Viola finds herself walking down the aisle towards a man she despises and has sworn she'll never kiss. But kisses are all that’s off nothing else.

Accustomed to living a secretive life on the outskirts of society, Richard Armstrong never expected to inherit a title, nor the significant property that comes with it. But now that he has, he’s determined to keep it within his bloodline, and for that he needs an heir. And so, he seeks out the striking widow of his cousin, the late Duke of Winterflood, and offers his hand.

While their passionate but turbulent union raises eyebrows among their family, and the ton at large, both Viola and Richard carry their own secret reasons for agreeing to marry.

But as they start their new life together, they will soon discover that the shocking secrets they’ve both been keeping cannot stay hidden forever. And the revelations, when they come, could turn both their worlds upside down.

📖 My Review

When Viola, the widowed Duchess of Winterflood, receives an unexpected proposal of marriage from a man she has not seen for over ten years, she is rather shocked to hear from Richard Armstrong and even more surprised to find herself accepting his marriage offer even though it comes with certain conditions.

What then follows is a lovely story which takes us back to the time when Richard and Viola first met and the significant effect that this relationship would have on both of their futures going forward. As always the Regency period is brought to life and whilst Viola is a formidable bride she is also constrained by what society expects of her. Richard, with some deep secrets of his own is an interesting character, wonderfully handsome but with an aching vulnerability. 

As always, this talented writer gives us a passionate romance, which sits comfortably alongside the historical period in which it is set, with two central characters who share their innermost secrets in a story which has a dash of spice, a pinch of romance and a wonderful second chance at happiness.

About the Author

Emma Orchard grew up in Salford and was given tickets to the grown-up library at the age of 11 because she’d read all the children’s books and the librarians were sick of the sight of her. She became obsessed with Georgette Heyer and hasn’t stopped reading her novels since. She studied English Literature at university and went on to work at Mills & Boon and behind the scenes in television and in publishing.

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