A Gilded Duchess

Allyson Jeleyne

Mar 2024 · Turn of the Century Historical Romance Book 2 · Fifty Forty Productions

About this ebook

Evangeline “Birdie” Horst is everything society expects in a Dollar Princess—beautiful, wealthy, spoiled, and determined to marry a title. But when her family detours through the English Lake District, she meets a mysterious groundskeeper who challenges everything she thought she wanted.

Ross barely survived the fire that destroyed Keswick Castle as a boy. As the Duke of Rosthwaite, he’s spent a decade rebuilding its gardens stone by stone. He lives and works on the grounds of Keswick Castle, which he opens to paying visitors during the summer. When a sharp-tongued American heiress mistakes him for hired help, Ross seizes the chance to be seen for who he is, not the coronet he wears.

But deception has consequences. And when Birdie discovers the truth, she must choose between the gilded future she planned and the haunted, passionate man she’s come to love.

This character-driven romance features:

- Groundskeeper duke with PTSD

- Spoiled heiress's redemption arc 

- Slow-burn emotional intensity 

- Explicit, on-page sensuality

- Third Person / Dual POV

- Guaranteed HEA

Content notes: Fire trauma, PTSD/panic attacks, burial scene, heroine's growth from flawed to redeemed, explicit sexual content.

Ratings and reviews

There's a minimum of introspection angst here. It IS there but doesn't occupy many lines of text. Instead we read of how a simple exploration of nature becomes an adventure with a spirit of fun and we feel the characters reaction. They are unique; their true selves put on display for us to love or hate, dismiss or celebrate. I loved it. Come join me!

Fun read where the real conflict is inside oneself as you discover what one thinks is important compared to what really is important. If you are at a point of self reflection in your life, a book like this might help your understanding of yourself.

it's a good reading with a lesson never give up and never surrender wen you find real love ❤ 😍

About the author

Allyson Jeleyne is a writer of bold, passionate historical romance featuring kind heroes, complex heroines, and steamy love. She earned an interdisciplinary studies degree in Creative Writing and Journalism while also studying British history & literature in her spare time. When not writing, she enjoys traveling and checking things off her bucket list.

Allyson makes her home in the South Carolina lowcountry with her beloved dog, Dollie Madison (2005-2022).