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A review by pushingdessy
The Secret Duchess by Jane Walsh
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
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Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for approving this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
🌈 A sweet slow-burn for lovers of sapphic period romances!
This is my second Jane Walsh sapphic romance, and the third in the “Spinsters of Inverley” series. Here, we meet Joan, the sheltered Duchess of Stanmere, who receives several nasty surprises at the reading of her deceased husband’s will. Fleeing scandal, she arrives to the seaside town of Inverley, determined not to let anyone find out her real identity.
When fashionable spinster Maeve’s mother remarries and leaves her to fend for herself, she asks to board with Joan’s manor while she seeks employment. Joan is reluctant at first, but decides to take Maeve in. With time, the two women begin to learn more about each other, about themselves and what it means to have something of their own… but it might all fall apart when the missing duchess is found.
I enjoyed this! The main characters' backstories and motivations were interesting, and they complemented one another and went through their own arcs while supporting the other’s journey. There were some angst and darker topics (mostly IPV and femicide, referenced), and also some open-door smut scenes with vulnerable conversations about pleasure and bodies that I really liked.
If you enjoy historical sapphic romances that are spicy and tender, be sure to check this one out!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for approving this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
🌈 A sweet slow-burn for lovers of sapphic period romances!
This is my second Jane Walsh sapphic romance, and the third in the “Spinsters of Inverley” series. Here, we meet Joan, the sheltered Duchess of Stanmere, who receives several nasty surprises at the reading of her deceased husband’s will. Fleeing scandal, she arrives to the seaside town of Inverley, determined not to let anyone find out her real identity.
When fashionable spinster Maeve’s mother remarries and leaves her to fend for herself, she asks to board with Joan’s manor while she seeks employment. Joan is reluctant at first, but decides to take Maeve in. With time, the two women begin to learn more about each other, about themselves and what it means to have something of their own… but it might all fall apart when the missing duchess is found.
I enjoyed this! The main characters' backstories and motivations were interesting, and they complemented one another and went through their own arcs while supporting the other’s journey. There were some angst and darker topics (mostly IPV and femicide, referenced), and also some open-door smut scenes with vulnerable conversations about pleasure and bodies that I really liked.
If you enjoy historical sapphic romances that are spicy and tender, be sure to check this one out!