Title: No Ordinary DuchessAuthor: Elizabeth Hoyt
Series: Greycourt #3
Pages: 352
Publication Date: Dec. 10, 2024
Publisher: Forever
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical
Synopsis:
Julian Greycourt, the new Duke of Windermere, is called the Duke of Ice because of his complete, artic control. One glance from the duke’s icy blue eyes has been known to make men faint. Windemere is correct, dispassionate, and completely ruthless. There are rumors, though, about the scandalous demands he makes of his paramours in the bedroom.
Lady Elspeth de Moray, the thoughtful and shy youngest sister of the Duke of Ayr, only wants to end the warfare between her brother and Windermere. When Windermere suggests a truce bound by a marriage between the families, Ayr immediately turns him down. But Elspeth, knowing that this may be the only way to bridge peace between the families, secretly goes to Windermere and offers herself… as his bride.
This blog uses affiliate links for some book recommendations, and if you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission. Thanks for supporting this little bookish corner of the internet!
No Ordinary Duchess is the third book in the Greycourt series. It can be read as a standalone, and though there is an overarching mystery in the series, I think enough context is given at the start of the story that it would be easy to follow. The story focuses on Julian Greycourt and Elspeth de Moray, a pair whose families have been enemies for many years ever since Julian’s brother was charged with killing Elspeth’s sister.
Julian, also known as the Duke of Ice, fits his nickname well. He’s cold and dispassionate, and he’s known to be completely ruthless. He’s definitely the grump to Elspeth’s sunshine. I really felt for Julian, especially after learning about his childhood and his suspicions about his mother’s death. He was raised under the watchful and abusive eye of his uncle, and for his own self-preservation, he was forced to squelch his feelings and emotions. It was heartbreaking to learn his backstory, but it explained so much about this grumpy, cold, and guilt-ridden man.
Elspeth is like a breath of fresh air, and the opposite of Julian. She doesn’t follow the rules of society, and she is so bright and fun and inquisitive. I love her bluntness and how she challenges Julian and turns his structured and icy world on its head. And her relationships with her family are some of my favorite parts of the story!
With a twelve-year age difference, a slight power imbalance, and feuding families, theirs is a bit of a forbidden romance, but as Julian searches for a book that might reveal what happened to his mother and Elspeth searches for a different tome in the Greycourt’s extensive book collection, they repeatedly cross paths, and their growing feelings are wonderful. And the spicy scenes certainly are steamy! Something I really liked was how open they were in talking about their needs and wants. Julian has a lot of guilt about his sexual proclivities, but I feel like Elspeth helps normalize it for him. She is the dom to his sub desires, and it sure works for them!
Like the other books in the series, the story has a lot of moving parts, and there are answers to some overarching questions, which I liked. I was most interested in all of the families’ history and lore and was glad we learned more about what actually happened to several characters that were important in Julian and Elspeth’s pasts. I’m eager to see how some other elements of the plot play out and if some of the other secondary characters will get their own stories.
Special thanks to Forever Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
One can live without books. Birds live. Cats live. Even the best of dogs live. But only humans can soar on the words from a book.
Without the stimulation of literature, you can live, yes. But your soul will be earthbound.
I think trust is something that has to be free. You can’t harness it, or confine it, in the hope that you’ll be able to hold trust forever. You can only let it go and believe in your heart that it will stay.
- grumpy sunshine
- forced proximity
- opposites attract
- age gap
- Insta-lust
Elizabeth Hoyt is the New York Times bestselling author of over seventeen lush historical romances including the Maiden Lane series. Publishers Weekly has called her writing “mesmerizing.” She also pens deliciously fun contemporary romances under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with three untrained dogs, a garden in constant need of weeding, and the long-suffering Mr. Hoyt.
It sounds like an intriguing series, Julie. Nice review and great quotes.
Thanks, Carla!