A Gentleman Ought to Know

Jane Ashford

Mar 2023 · The Duke's Estates Book 4 · Sourcebooks, Inc.

About this ebook

Waltz into a delightfully sparkling Regency world that fans of Bridgerton and Georgette Heyer won't want to miss.

Charlotte Deeping needs something to keep her occupied now that she's back home after her first London season. She misses solving local intrigues with her school friends, but they've all gone off and gotten married. Then Laurence Lindley, the Marquess of Glendarvon, comes for a visit, and drops a mystery right into her lap.

When Charlotte's brother makes her promise not to interrogate the marquess, she agrees. But that only means she'll have to find subtler ways to learn about the mysterious marquess and his past. The more time they spend together, the closer Charlotte gets to finding answers, and to Laurence. That is, until Charlotte's digging rouses an old vendetta and Laurence has to delve into his own history to help the young lady he's come to love.

Praise for Jane Ashford:

"Complex characters, subtle romance, and all the sparkling wit and flirtatious banter of a Georgette Heyer novel." —Publishers Weekly for A Duke Too Far

"Required reading for fans of cleverly conceived, smartly written Regency historical romances." —Booklist for The Duke Knows Best

"An effervescent Regency romantic mystery." —Kirkus Reviews for A Duke Too Far

Ratings and reviews

Miss Charlotte Deeping’s family hunting party turns into her preferred hunting party for Laurence Lindley, Marquess of Glendarvon, in “A Gentleman Ought to Know” by Jane Ashford!! I enjoyed the who-dun-it aspect to the story!! It allows for different settings, skills sets, twists, and more while they discover the full story that starts decades ago. If you enjoy horses, mystery, skilled women, slow burns, and teasing, then I highly recommend this book!!

A lovely romance with a side of mystery! Laurence and Charlotte are about as unlikely a pair of lovers as I've ever read. Charlotte is far too outspoken and analytical to ever consider herself to be the sort of lady that a gentleman would want to settle down with, but she hadn't counted on Laurence. Laurence has lived a quietly controlled existence since the death of his parents when he was very young. Everything about Charlotte challenges his thinking and dares him to consider new possibilities. He's not comfortable talking about the past, but Charlotte is always looking for a problem to solve so when she discovers his parents were murdered and the killers were never found, she's determined to see what she can turn up. There's also a bit of mystery surrounding a recent fire at an abandoned holding near Charlotte's home, one that belongs to the Duke of Tereford, who with his wife, Cecelia, one of Charlotte's closest friends, is staying there while they rebuild the home. This fire seems to be a less emotionally-fraught mystery to solve, and that's where Charlotte starts. Investigating all the assorted clues provides a unique framework for Laurence to unofficially court Charlotte, despite her insistence that she has no intention of ever marrying. This is where he figures out that the traditional methods for wooing young ladies won't have any effect on Charlotte, and this process - both for him and for Charlotte - is really the best part of the book. Most of the story takes place at Charlotte's family estate, so we get to know her brothers very well as they also participate in all the various activities. I really identified with Charlotte's sibling camaraderie as the only daughter of the five Deeping offspring. The contrast of her large, boisterous family with Laurence's solitary upbringing was exquisitely done. I loved how all the secrets and mysteries were revealed and resolved in the end, and I really enjoyed the way Charlotte and Laurence secured their HEA. The side story revealing more of James and Cecelia's future was a very nice treat. I also very much enjoyed Merlin's role throughout the story, and was happy to see his future settled as well. This is the fourth book in the series, and in my opinion it is the best. Plenty of action, engaging characters, and never-a-dull-moment action sequences kept me glued to the story from start to finish. I highly recommend this story for anyone who loves historical romances. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

This is a nice opposites-attract romance with a mystery subplot. Lots of intrigue, and contrast between the two main characters. It was fun to see Merlin show up in this book, with his ambitions of becoming a Bow Street runner. I'd love to see him get his own HEA. Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

About the author

Jane Ashford discovered Georgette Heyer in junior high school and was captivated by the glittering world and witty language of Regency England. That delight was part of what led her to study English literature and travel widely. She’s written historical and contemporary romances, and her books have been published all over Europe as well as in the United States. Jane has been nominated for a Career Achievement Award. Find her on the web at www.janeashford.com and facebook.com/janeashfordwriter. If you’d like to receive her monthly newsletter, you can sign up at either of those sites.