Miss Fairfax's Notorious Duke

by Eva Shepherd

Scandal abounds in this lively Victorian romance

A scandalous way

…to meet a duke!

Having tarnished her reputation, Irene Fairfax flees to Devon to focus on her art. Her latest life drawing is going well until her naked subject reveals he’s not the man she thinks he is. He is, in fact, the Duke of Redcliff, a notorious rogue who seems amused by her discomfiture! This duke may be even more of a threat to her reputation, yet she can’t help craving more…

From Harlequin Your romantic escape to the past.

Rebellious Young Ladies

Book 1: Lady Amelia's Scandalous Secret
Book 2: Miss Fairfax's Notorious Duke
Book 3: Miss Georgina's Marriage Dilemma

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical Fiction

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published August 22, 2023

About the author

After graduating with degrees in history and political science, Eva Shepherd worked in journalism and as an advertising copywriter.

She began writing historical romances because it combines her love of a happy ending with her passion for history.

She lives in Christchurch New Zealand, but spends her days immersed in the world of late Victorian England.

Reviews

[Susan]

Irene Fairfax escapes London to stay in Devon for a while, to enjoy painting and to flee her tarnished reputation. While there, she is to meet her friend's brother Joshua so that he can pose for a nude, as the art school would not allow her, a woman, to be in those particular classes. Joshua, the Duke of Redcliff, arriving in Devon after a night of drunkenness where he wakes up in working man's clothes, hears a woman call his name at the train station. It's a case of mistaken identity, but when he goes to Irene's cottage with her and she tells him to strip nude, his baser self agrees, without asking questions. They both figure out the mistake and Irene, irate, tells him to leave her cottage. But she does have the sketch, at least, and she will make good use of it. Meanwhile, Joshua goes back to his estate, not far from Irene's cottage. The unfortunate incident is that Irene's mother comes down to visit her unexpectedly, and sees the nude drawing of Joshua. When Irene admits to her mother that the sketch is of Joshua, the Duke of Redcliff, her mother insists that they marry and she is sanctioned by Joshua's aunt, who has wanted him to marry for some time now.

Stuck in an engagement neither Irene nor Joshua know how to get out of, they strike up a compromise: They will have a very long engagement, but will never marry.

Over the course of the next months, they grow closer and yet they both know they agreed not to take this engagement seriously. Joshua doesn't want to give up his purposeless life and make Irene an unhappy wife, and Irene doesn't want to marry a womanizing man.

This was an enjoyable story, although hearing about Joshua's past once Irene meets his old friends, was a bit - ugh. This was truly a character metamorphosis, as if it hadn't been, I wouldn't have wanted Irene to have anything to do with Joshua. But all turns out right in the end.

[DD]

3*

Second book in series, which I've managed to read out of order.
Irene is a long suffering daughter to , wait for it - an ambitious social climber of a mother. After five seasons Irene takes illness and hides in Devon to follow her passion - painting and avoid men. In a predictable mix up a hung over Deke - Joshua arrived in Devon remarkably quickly from London (trains were even slower than than they are now), and answers when a young lady calls out Joshua, then takes him ho!e and tells him to strip.

Of course Irenes mother sees the picture is outraged and with Joshuas aunt forced an engagement, which neither of the principles want. So how do they get out of it? They spend lots of time together.

All a little predictable

[Cassandra]

3.5. I like how supportive Joshua is of Irene with her painting right from the beginning. He is encouraging, supportive, communicative. I liked that Irene was not a virgin and she knew what she wanted and that was Joshua with her in the bed in the gatehouse ^.^ Irene was over okay. I loved her passion for her art and that she all she wanted was her art to be loved and appreciated by others. I did not like the third act break up. Honestly, it actually pissed me off. She made a whole lot of assumptions with so little to base it off of at that time.

[Mary Hart]

4 stars

FRom my point of you I think it worked best when they were in her studio together. The beginning was great IMO the middle fizzled out for me. I wasn't that happy with the mother or his friends both seemed to me a bit creepy. I would have liked to have seen Joshua take her to Paris to take part in life classes.

[Michael C]

A historical romance with a fairly straightforward plot involving a woman who is a talented artist and a rakish Duke. A light and enjoyable read with some spicy scenes: I did not think the explicitness of these added to the quality of the novel but presumably many readers like their historical romances to continue scenes like these.

[Harlequin Books]

Historical Fiction, Sagas, Victorian Historical Fiction
Miniseries
Rebellious Young Ladies (Book #2)

[Maps]

Could not finish