Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Series: The MacGalloways #1
Publication Date: 1019/21
Period: Regency London & Scotland
Number of Pages: 319

I absolutely adored Martin and Julia/Jules in this delightfully entertaining book. They were lovely, lovely people – both separate and together. While Julia’s plight is a dire one, there is no angst or poor-pitiful-me involved. She accepts whatever is thrown in her way with intelligence, resilience, determination, good humor, and good grace. The writing is excellent, the story is well-plotted, and I d everything about it.

Lady Julia St.Vincent, daughter of the Earl of Brixham, is desperate. Her father has drunk and gambled his entire fortune away and is deeply in debt to the vile moneylender, Silas Skinner. Not only is there no money left, but her father also is gravely ill, and the deed to their only remaining property, Huntly Manor, is in Skinner’s hands as collateral. With no marriage prospects and no living family, it is up to Julia to save them. Since she’s been acting as her father’s steward for the last five years, she’ll just ‘become’ a man and seek a position. So, Julia becomes Jules Smallwood, a very astute and capable steward to the Duke of Dunscaby. At least this will allow her to make payments on the money her father owes Skinner – and to pay for her father’s care.

Martin MacGalloway, Duke of Dunscaby, has led a carefree bachelor life in London until his father died. Now, it is up to him to grow the family fortunes and assure that his siblings have the wherewithal to support themselves in the future. His first order of business was to acquire a new steward but he definitely didn’t know what to make of the one his Man of Business sent him. He is a tiny, effeminate little man, but he is quite good at his job and Martin can and will toughen him up. He’ll just take him hunting, and maybe drinking, boxing, and skirt-chasing, that will definitely toughen the little fellow up.

Jules is an outstanding steward and Martin is very satisfied with the job he does. Jules has even come up with a way for Martin’s brothers – Gibb, Andrew, Philip, and Frederick – to assure a solid financial future. Everything goes smoothly for Jules – until the duke decides to go to London and take Jules with him. Even that would have been okay – except – there was this masquerade ball and Julia did so love dancing. What can one evening dressing as herself hurt? Uh-Oh. Martin is also at the masquerade and becomes entranced with Julia. How can she play both Julia and Jules?

You’ll love the lighthearted and entertaining story – even during the rare times when it isn’t. The interactions where Martin is trying to make a man of Jules are priceless – and the interactions where he is drawn to Julia are heartwarming. The supporting characters – mostly Martin’s sisters – Charity, Grace, and Modesty – were really fun additions to the story.

I highly recommend this book and cannot wait for the next one in the series, Her Unconventional Earl, that features Charity and will release next January. I hope you’ll read this book and love it as much as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.author-arc xx-2021-read12 s Morgan Many Books188 68

2.5 Stars

This is my first Amy Jarecki so I essentially went into this blind simply because 1) the title was great, and 2) the premise sounded fun.

I’m sad to say that I found this mediocre and…novice-y.

The story was juxtaposed by a relatively thorough Regency foundation and then lots of colloquial/modern anachronisms. Linguistic anachronism isn’t something that bothers me overmuch as it’s a lot to ask a writer to accomplish and have a reader enjoy. When writers do have a go at emulating period-speak, it almost always fails for me. But here, it just took me out of the story and didn’t make sense considering the level of detail that was put into this?

In addition to that, despite being a rather prolific writer of Scottish Historical Romance—Jarecki diluted Scottish culture and its society’s upper echelons to ‘wee,’ ‘och,’ and ‘aye.’ Maybe a kilt is worn a time or two. I always feel when that is the gist of what is done to convey “Scottish”… it’s very caricature-esque, and increases the sense that one is reading historical pastiche as opposed to something that is meant to feel genuine. It’s a tricky thing to accomplish,, I get it, and I’m not sure where the balance can be found only that in this instance it left me feeling really confused that this very basic stereotype of Scottish-ness was all that was accomplished? A Thimbleful of Honor is the best portrayal of Scots I’ve encountered in a historical in quite some time, so maybe that spoiled me. But this felt flat, one-dimensional, and lacking nuance—the Regency-Scottish take.

As for the plot and characters, the MCs never felt fully realized. Their personalities remained elusive to me. I never felt I understood who Julia or Martin were, what they stood for, or what their arc was supposed to be. A lot of what they did felt curve balls that didn’t fit any character description but just helped the plot hit a milestone so the a HEA could be accomplished. They felt, honestly, aimless. Which means, naturally, that their blossoming love felt the same.

It was enjoyable enough but when ‘I love you’s’ are exchanged and it feels out of place and random, I think something has gone wrong. But maybe this is just a me thing, loads of readers are enjoying it.

Thanks to Oliver Heber Books for this ARC. All thoughts are voluntarily given, honest, and my own.netgalley-or-arc11 s Julie - One Book More1,162 199

Lady Julia St. Vincent is desperate to pay off her ailing father’s debts. She knows the only way to earn enough money to do this is to pose as a man, so she pretends to be Jules Smallwood and takes a job as a steward to Martin MacGalloway, the Duke of Dunscaby. The more time Julia spends with Martin, the more she falls in love with him, but she knows she must not reveal her feelings or she will lose her job and the money she needs to help her father. When Martin attends a masquerade, an enchanting encounter with Julia piques his interest, and he determines to learn more about her. How can Julia keep up the ruse as Jules Smallwood, and how will Martin react when he learns of her secret?

Julia is intelligent and quickly proves her worth as Jules Smallwood, the young steward. Martin has a lot of respect for Jules and his capabilities, but he has no idea that Jules is really a woman. As a newly appointed Duke, Martin finds the adjustment from his old life to his new one difficult. However, he puts a lot of trust in the people who work for him, and he shows a willingness to learn from and receive assistance from others.

Martin takes Jules under his wing and includes Jules in activities that will toughen him up. Boxing, hunting, and other pursuits are comical as Julia tries to keep her identity a secret. These scenes are great – awkward and comical and so entertaining! Whether Jules or Julia, the chemistry between her and Martin is undeniable. These parts also contribute to the character development, and I feel I learned a lot about both Martin and Julia in these scenes. They are both likable, good-natured, and loyal people who will do anything for family and those they care about.

Martin, of course, is clueless about Jules and his real identity, which makes for some entertaining scenes. Poor Martin! He’s so savvy in some regards, but in others, he can’t see what is right in front of him. When Martin meets Julia at the masquerade, for example, Martin is smitten. He has no idea that Julia is, in fact, Jules, and his determination to connect with Julia shows how strong his feelings are and how clueless he is. His pursuit of Julia is so romantic, and their chemistry is fantastic.

In addition to the challenges of keeping her identity a secret, Julia also must deal with the lecherous and malignant man who lent Julia’s father money. His unsavory desires and constant pressure to repay the debt create even more obstacles for Julia. This money-lender is such a despicable man, and his interactions with Julia become increasingly dangerous and frightening, which adds to the intrigue of the story.

Other characters, especially Martin’s family and other people in his life, are also quite compelling, and I’m eager to learn more about them in future books in the series. Martin’s sisters have big personalities, and I believe Charity is the focus of the next book, Her Unconventional Earl. I’m also curious to learn more about Martin’s brothers and have a feeling they will have more prominent roles in subsequent books.

Amy Jarecki never disappoints and is one of my auto-buy romance authors. The first book in The MacGalloways series, this is an entertaining story for readers who historical romance with a slow-building, secret identity/woman-disguised-as-a-man love story. I’m so thankful to Oliver Heber Books, Amy Jarecki, and NetGalley for providing me a copy of the book. All views are my own.
historical-romance netgalley romance9 s eyes.2c2,789 80

Fast footwork needed!

I really enjoyed Jarecki’s portrayal of a desperate and daring young woman, Lady Julia St. Vincent, being employed as Jules Smallwood, male secretary to Martin MacGalloway the Duke of Dunscaby. Of course this a situation rife with all sorts of comic possibilities. Hilarity follows quite naturally when Jules’ employer the Duke decides his rather effete young secretary needs toughening up. He’d noticed when they first met,
“The man wasn’t only the size of a jockey, he had to be the bonniest fellow Martin had ever seen. Even his hands seemed inordinately small, well-manicured, and feminine.”
Don’t even get me started on the boxing lesson! All efforts add deliciously to the tension. I was exhausted by Julia’s deft footwork needed as she swept from one charged situation to another. Couple that with the need to occasionally revert to female! Well!
When the Duke walks in on Jules / Julia in the bath we can literally see the Duke befuddlement, wondering where his wits had gone, post that moment when he rather delighted in his male secretary’s back. Yoiks! No wonder the Duke thought it was time for he pursued some form of female dalliance!
Laughable as these comedic aspects of the are, there’s Julia’s conundrum over the demands of the sinister Silas Skinner, an unscrupulous moneylender her holds what’s left of her family property in his vice grip. Her overriding fear is that this scoundrel blackmailer will destroy all she’s working for before she can repay the loan.
The image of Julia and the family butler working together to save the house is wonderful. The idea of Willaby cutting Julia’s hair to ensure her masquerade, demonstrates the sheer weight of the gambling depts incurred by Julia’s father, the Earl of Brixham. It also tell us us something about these old retainers with what’s left of the Household working as one (Upstairs and Downstairs ) to salvage the situation.
My one complaint is that the latter part became just a tad predictable after its brilliant opening first half.
Not enough however to lessen my enjoyment. A witty, ever changing tapestry of delight.

An Xpresso Books ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)regency-romance9 s Tracy Emro1,919 51

When her father falls ill, Lady Julia St.Vincent, daughter of the Earl of Brixham, has no choice but to seek employment, to save them from ruin, as her father gambled away his fortune and borrowed money from a most unscrupulous fellow named Silas Skinner. Since Julia has worked as her father’s steward for years, she decides to disguise herself as a man and find a position. She transforms herself into Jules Smallwood and takes the position of steward to the Duke of Dunscaby.

Up until now, Martin MacGalloway, the newly titled, Duke of Dunscaby, has been living it up in London as a rake of the first order, but upon the death of his father, Martin accepts his responsibilities and returns home. Once he does he is surprised to find the estate in disarray and his siblings completely dependent on him – he needs help to shore everything up and isn’t sure the new steward his Man of Business sent is up for the task. But Jules surprises him and he soon finds himself not only respecting the little man but actually liking him too. In fact, he s him so much, he decides to take him to London and help him become more “manly”.

Everything is going smoothly, Julia is excelling at her job and so far her disguise is successful, but everything changes when they go to London and she attends a masquerade ball as herself and encounters none other than Martin – who is captivated by her. Can Julia keep her secrets or will she lose everything, including the man she loves, but can never have?

This was a fun, well-written, lighthearted story with wonderful characters. The book has laugh-out-loud moments, witty banter, fabulous secondary characters, a really nasty villain, a bit of angst, ending with a HEA. Personally, the disguise trope is one of my least favorite tropes, but this one is well done, but I did find the pace of the story a bit slow and found myself skimming on more than one occasion. All in all, this was a good read and I would happily recommend the book and will be looking forward to the next book in the series!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*for-review georgian-era regency8 s Debby *BabyDee*1,316 72

“A Duke by Scot” by Amy Jarecki is a delightful story of disguise and secrecy. Lady Julia St. Vincent, left to pay off her ailing father’s debts has no choice but to pose as a man and earn a living as a steward to Martin MacGalloway, the new Duke of Dunscaby. Julia, aka Jules Smallwood, is a very resourceful and smart and its unfortunate that the woman to whom he steels a kiss at a masquerade ball is none other than his steward. It is that one kiss that has Martin on a wild pursuit to uncover the whereabouts and secret of the woman from the ball and the one who has stirred his soul.

There is a slow build until the main characters finally connect or get together. I loved Julia’s escapades with Martin, and his efforts to making her into a manly man…which made the trope of a woman disguise as a man entertaining and capturing my attention. Although the story pace is slow, there are points here and there in chapters where it picks up but then again slows again as I thought it became too wordy. In the end, the HEA was worth the wait and ending up becoming an enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley and Oliver Heber Books for this ARC ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.a-series-reads authors-i-j x-2023-netgalley7 s Mikala Grace Bucklin59 10

I received “A Duke By Scot” e-book from NetGalley and Oliver Heber Books in exchange for my honest review.

I didn’t realize I needed a Scottish historical romance until I read “A Duke by Scot”. Now I really want a Scotsman as a husband… maybe a former rake Scottish Duke.

Amy Jarecki forms this wonderful story that gives us romance, intrigue, laughter, and joy all in one. She gives us characters you can’t help but love, situations you either laugh at or swoon, and a romance that I fell in love with. She does a fantastic job of building this love that’s so magical.

Centered around two characters, Martin MacGalloway, the new Duke of Dunscaby, and Julia St. Vincent, an Earl’s daughter who is struggling to get out of the financial ruin her father has put them under. She finds herself disguised as a man and working as the Duke’s steward. Julia feels an instant connection to him and feels herself pulled towards him. But, when they share a stolen kiss (Julia not disguised as a man, and Martin not knowing who she was) Martin will stop at nothing to find out more about the woman he kissed, and Julia will stop at nothing to keep up her ruse.

The characters are fantastic, and I loved seeing a female character who is brilliant, and smart in a position of steward- even if she was disguised as a man. Meanwhile we have this large Scottish family who loved each other immensely. They were charming, witty, funny, and all together just wonderful.
It was a little slow in the beginning, but around the middle, the story started coming together and I loved it.

Overall, a well written and well formed story with fantastic characters and a fantastic romance.
(P.S. - there is a ball scene, and I adored it.)4 s Sophie1,286 559

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

When her father turns to drink and loses just about everything the estate has, Lady Julia St.Vincent, daughter of the Earl of Brixham, has to become a steward for the desperate Duke of Dunscaby, hiding out on his remote Scottish estate, masquerading as a man. She's been her father's steward in all but name for years now, and nowhere else to turn to pay off the vicious moneylender, Silas Skinner, especially when her father turns ill. But Julia never expected that the new duke, Martin, would be hands on, or that they would soon become close friends. Martin needs all the help he can get to transform the Dunscaby legacy back into greatness, especially as his sisters are on the cusp of their debuts, and his brother's rely on him. The new steward, Jules Smallwood, is perfect for this, and someone he can turn to for advice and friendship. However, when Martin encounters Lady Julia in London, after dragging Jules there for the season, he is enthralled, and it seems as if Julia is falling just for the man she can't have.

This is another Scottish themed book I've read recently, and I loved it. The characters that Amy has created are so funny and witty, and their relationships with each other perfect for the book. I really felt for Julia and the situation she found herself in. She needed someone to care for her, especially when her father clearly couldn't, and had to step up time and time again to help. The friendship between herself and Martin, when she was 'Jules', was really warming to see, and they opened up to each other in a way they never had done before. The book was lighthearted for the most part, but there were some dark moments, especially those involving Silas, but I think everything was just right for the romance playing out here. I can't wait for book 2, Her Unconventional Earl, which I think is Charity, Martin's sister's, story.2021-new-releases-challenge 2021-releases 4-stars ...more3 s Rainelle1,806 102

Well I was very pleased with this story. Martin and Julia shined through the whole book. The writer offered plenty of moments in the book we’re the reader enjoyed the honest humor from some of the characters. Modesty is my favorite character I think. I love some of the characters names, such as Modesty and Patience, Charity.
I also noticed it was the ladies who received these names. I how the story flowed along. I enjoyed that the story didn’t slow or take a turn on the bland side. The entertainment was splendid and exciting. I give praise to the writer at a great job with this romantic story. 3 s Jaime1,733 306

An excellent story from Author Amy Jarecki — she never fails to amaze me with her creative plots, fun characters, historical context, and romantic endeavors that she weaves together to create masterpieces. This story is full of moments that will have you laughing one moment and longing the next as you watch these two perfect characters fall in love.

I cannot wait for the next book in the series!!

5 Stars ??| 4 Flames
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