No Ordinary Duchess

By: Elizabeth Hoyt

Narrated by: Ashford McNab

From a New York Times bestselling author, the much-anticipated third novel in the Greycourt series.

Cold and brooding, Julian Greycourt, the heir to the Windemere dukedom, has always known that his uncle the duke was responsible for his mother’s death. Now he’s determined to exact revenge against his uncle—if he can find the proof. But Julian hides a secret so explosive it will destroy him if it’s ever revealed, and the duke is watching. The last thing he needs is a distractingly sensual woman whose very presence threatens to destroy his plans.

Sunny and cheerful, Lady Elspeth de Moray doesn’t know why her brother and Julian fell out all those years ago, but she can’t let the autocratic man get in the way of her mission: to retrieve an ancient family text that she believes is in one of the Windemere libraries. Locating the tome, however, proves trickier than she anticipated, and at each turn, she’s thrown together with the maddingly mysterious Julian. And the temptation to give in to her family’s greatest enemy grows stronger with each intriguing encounter…

Critic reviews

"Hoyt's writing is almost too good to be true."—Lisa Kleypas

"No one captures moments of heartbreak and hope in a relationship as exquisitely as Hoyt does, and the latest danger-infused, wryly witty addition to her exemplary Georgian-set Greycourt series offers another master class in forward sensuality and fierce romanticism."—Booklist on When a Rogue Meets His Match

"Credible characters, steamy romance, and heart-pounding action set this romance apart."—Publishers Weekly on When a Rogue Meets His Match

"Hoyt...marries her irresistibly witty writing style with an intrigue-steeped plot that is generously spiced with lively banter and lush sensuality."—Booklist on Not the Duke's Darling

"[T]his superbly executed historical romance is proof positive that this RITA Award-nominated author continues to write with undiminished force and flair. When it comes to incorporating a generous measure of dangerous intrigue and lush sensuality into a truly swoonworthy love story, Hoyt is unrivaled."—Booklist on Dearest Rogue

"Hoyt's exquisitely nuanced characters, vividly detailed setting, and seemingly effortless and elegant writing provide the splendid material from which she fashions yet another ravishingly romantic love story."—Booklist on Darling Beast

"An expert blend of scintillating romance and mystery... The romance between the beautiful and quick-witted Isabel and the masked champion of the downtrodden propels this novel to the top of its genre."—Publishers Weekly on Thief of Shadows

We Want More

Elizabeth Hoyt is one of my favorite authors. The way she spices up her romances with adventure never disappoints. I want more. This book was lovely and I’m ready for another. Please feed my addiction.

I agree with others, not her best

I love Elizabeth Hoyt. I’ve read every one of her books, However, this one was a disappointment. There was a lot of dialogue and narration and not a lot of action. The story seemed to amble around and not really zero in. I made myself finish. To me, the ending scene was chaotic and not believable. The second book in the series, in my opinion, was the best. Ashford McNabb always does a good job narrating.

Wonderful story!

The author and narrator keep me wonder… Life hadn’t been easy for the lady; yet she continued finding ways to make it better. On the other hand the man he is so bitter and blind that can’t see the reality

Not One of the Best

I’ve never been disappointed with an Elizabeth Hoyt novel, but I admit, this was the most laborious to get through, and it never did excite me the way her other works have. I found the MFC, Elspeth, to be fairly charming, but Julian, the MMC, was often times grating. Perhaps it’s because I am not partial to his particular form of bedsport, or maybe because his interactions with Elspeth never felt that steamy to me, that I never felt a real connection between the two leads and the relationship felt forced rather than organic. Also, I’ve always been impressed with Ashford McNab’s narration, but in this novel, she gave our MMC such a nasally and annoying voice, I am certain that it contributes to my dislike for him. Maybe when I read the novel without the narration, I will warm to him more. However, because of her superior writing skills, even a lukewarm Hoyt novel is still a good novel. Unfortunately, I’ve heard this will be her last book in the series (I am certain, prematurely ended) and there are still characters and plot lines that feel like they will be permanently dropped, which leaves the loyal and avid Hoyt reader a bit unsatisfied.

Awaited

Enjoy Hoyt's works, including Thief of Shadows and Duke of Sin. In this work, admire the development of the primary characters and their believable dynamic. The FMC is a bit of an inversion of Winter Makepeace in that she is a contemplative virgin who takes the dominant role in intimacy.

There's a lot of exposition in this series - "tell", rather than "show": it's interesting to observe where the author's attention is engaged. Several secondary characters set up for possible stories of their own,and I hope the author continues. Slight contradictions to the overall series mystery seem like shifts in developing that story - most noteably that in a prior book the MMC's inner voice 'if only I could discover what happened' while in this book, his knowledge is different