{"id":29976,"date":"2023-03-08T08:32:33","date_gmt":"2023-03-08T12:32:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?p=29976"},"modified":"2023-03-08T08:32:35","modified_gmt":"2023-03-08T12:32:35","slug":"review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/08\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\/","title":{"rendered":"Review \u2764\ufe0f The Portrait of a Duchess by Diane Kelly"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-29976\" data-postid=\"29976\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-29976 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    \t\t\t<!-- module_row -->\n\t<div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_bi3e50 tb_first tf_w tf_clearfix\">\n\t    \t\t\t<div class=\"row_inner col_align_top gutter-narrow tb_col_count_2 tf_box tf_rel\">\n\t\t            <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-1 tb_2s2750 first\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module image -->\n<div  class=\"module module-image tb_gkab51 rounded drop-shadow customBorderRad_top image-center auto_fullwidth tf_mw\" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div class=\"image-wrap tf_rel tf_mw\">\n\t\t    <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"316\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham.jpg?resize=316%2C500&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-post-image wp-image-29977\" title=\"the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham\" alt=\"the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham.jpg?w=316&amp;ssl=1 316w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham.jpg?resize=190%2C300&amp;ssl=1 190w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 316px) 100vw, 316px\" \/>\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/image-wrap -->\n    \n    \t<\/div>\n<!-- \/module image --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_ctkb51 customBorderRad_bottom repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><strong><span class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\">Once upon a time she married in secret\u2026<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">An activist painter of radicals and harlots, Cornelia Ludgate dismisses love and marriage as threats to freedom. But when an inheritance gives her the chance to fund the cause of women\u2019s rights\u2014on the condition she must wed\u2014she is forced to reveal a secret: she\u2019s already married. To a man she hasn\u2019t seen for twenty years.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><strong><span class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\">Oh\u2026and her husband is a duke.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">A horse breeder with a clandestine taste for revolution, Rafe Goodwood never expected to become a duke. But now that the title is his, he is plotting to shock the ruling class with ambitions of reform\u2014and reveal the infamous Cornelia is his duchess. That just presents one problem: he must not fall in love with her\u2014again.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><strong><span class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\">Now they must resist the temptation to rekindle an affair&#8230;<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Although determined not to sacrifice her principles for passion, Cornelia is still drawn to the man whose very being threatens her independence. Hurt too many times, Rafe can\u2019t risk love again\u2014especially with the woman who once shattered his heart. But a conspiracy to upend the inequalities of the aristocracy bring Cornelia and Rafe closer, forcing them to finally decide what\u2014and who\u2014they hold dear.<\/span><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-2 tb_l2g751 last\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_o06151  repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-25881 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/smitten-recommends-banner-1.png?resize=296%2C72\" alt=\"\" width=\"296\" height=\"72\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Mar 7, 2023<br \/><strong>Series:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>Society of Sirens<br \/><\/em><strong>Book:\u00a0<\/strong>2<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> Hot<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0HarperCollins<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0Avon Books\u00a0<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $6.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><em><strong>Feminist forward, eat the rich mentality, and sheer joy in the shameless pursuit of pleasure romance.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">This series breaks all conventions, and it\u2019s some of the freshest historical romance I\u2019ve read in years. We have a biracial heroine and artist, <strong>Cornelia Ludgate<\/strong>. Our hero is the recently inherited Duke of Rosemere and horse breeder <strong>Rafe Goodwin<\/strong>. Both have an intertwined past and an even more involved future if they choose to fight against their previous issues to take hold of a chance at happiness by doing what they love best.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">As far as tropes, this is all age gap, polyamory, unrequited love\/second chance romance, and a marriage of convenience.\u00a0 Yes, pearl clutchers beware, both Cornelia and Rafe enjoy an open relationship with multiple partners, some of which are featured in the story. This added some elements to the story that made it steamy and showcased a trend not written as much in traditionally published historical romances without an erotica tag.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">A lot of the tale between these two is provided via flashbacks, which is difficult not to include in a second-chance romance. What keeps this from a five for me is that very thing. I wanted more of the present-day story versus the flashbacks. I felt the book plot didn\u2019t have as much substance or ability for Cornelia and Rafe to work through their issues. Also, some of the present-day problems were left off page, and I feel like that could have replaced the flashbacks.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">What I enjoyed about the story included the setting, the world of historical romance from the lens of those fighting against the patriarchy. These women are trailblazers with risky, difficult lives. It\u2019s refreshing to see them wage war against archaic practices and belief systems while falling in love at the same time. Not to mention this book was like a bridging gap to help move another overarching piece of the story forward. I\u2019m interested to see where all these lead, and can only hope that other readers agree they want more.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">Overall, the book could stand alone, but it\u2019s better enjoyed by those who\u2019ve read the first in the series, <strong>The Rakess<\/strong>. This is for readers who enjoy historical romance with a more political, feminist undertone, and it\u2019s not anyone seeking a light and fluffy read.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Landra<\/em><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_8bni51 customBorderRad repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3F6dCEu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a><\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/3T0juo8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">iBooks<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham\/1141299393?ean=9780062935649\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">B&amp;N<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Kobo<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Scarlett_Peckham_The_Portrait_of_a_Duchess?id=2TI_EAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Google Play<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n            \t    <\/div>\n\t    <!-- \/row_inner -->\n\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/module_row -->\n\t<\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Once upon a time she married in secret\u2026An activist painter of radicals and harlots, Cornelia Ludgate dismisses love and marriage as threats to freedom. But [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29977,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[152,305,307,404,405],"class_list":["post-29976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-4-stars","tag-historical-romance","tag-historicals","tag-recommend","tag-recommended-reads"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Review \u2764\ufe0f The Portrait of a Duchess by Diane Kelly - Smitten by Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/08\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Review \u2764\ufe0f The Portrait of a Duchess by Diane Kelly - Smitten by Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Once upon a time she married in secret\u2026An activist painter of radicals and harlots, Cornelia Ludgate dismisses love and marriage as threats to freedom. But [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/08\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Smitten by Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-03-08T12:32:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-03-08T12:32:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"316\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"beverley\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"beverley\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/08\\\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/08\\\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"beverley\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5a4181aeb9cd5641e30023b9b4d3e00d\"},\"headline\":\"Review \u2764\ufe0f The Portrait of a Duchess by Diane Kelly\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-03-08T12:32:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-08T12:32:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/08\\\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":9,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/08\\\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham.jpg?fit=316%2C500&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"4 Stars\",\"historical romance\",\"historicals\",\"recommend\",\"Recommended Reads\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/08\\\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/08\\\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/08\\\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\\\/\",\"name\":\"Review \u2764\ufe0f The Portrait of a Duchess by Diane Kelly - Smitten by Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/08\\\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/08\\\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham.jpg?fit=316%2C500&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-03-08T12:32:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-08T12:32:35+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/08\\\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/08\\\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/08\\\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham.jpg?fit=316%2C500&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham.jpg?fit=316%2C500&ssl=1\",\"width\":316,\"height\":500},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/08\\\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Review \u2764\ufe0f The Portrait of a Duchess by Diane Kelly\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Smitten by Books\",\"description\":\"Where HEAs are guaranteed\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Smitten by Books\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/10\\\/cropped-smittenlogo-2017.png?fit=281%2C265&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/10\\\/cropped-smittenlogo-2017.png?fit=281%2C265&ssl=1\",\"width\":281,\"height\":265,\"caption\":\"Smitten by Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5a4181aeb9cd5641e30023b9b4d3e00d\",\"name\":\"beverley\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"beverley\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/beverley\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Review \u2764\ufe0f The Portrait of a Duchess by Diane Kelly - Smitten by Books","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/08\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Review \u2764\ufe0f The Portrait of a Duchess by Diane Kelly - Smitten by Books","og_description":"Once upon a time she married in secret\u2026An activist painter of radicals and harlots, Cornelia Ludgate dismisses love and marriage as threats to freedom. But [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/08\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\/","og_site_name":"Smitten by Books","article_published_time":"2023-03-08T12:32:33+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-03-08T12:32:35+00:00","og_image":[{"width":316,"height":500,"url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"beverley","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"beverley"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/08\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/08\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\/"},"author":{"name":"beverley","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/5a4181aeb9cd5641e30023b9b4d3e00d"},"headline":"Review \u2764\ufe0f The Portrait of a Duchess by Diane Kelly","datePublished":"2023-03-08T12:32:33+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-08T12:32:35+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/08\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\/"},"wordCount":9,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/08\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham.jpg?fit=316%2C500&ssl=1","keywords":["4 Stars","historical romance","historicals","recommend","Recommended Reads"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/08\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/08\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\/","url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/08\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\/","name":"Review \u2764\ufe0f The Portrait of a Duchess by Diane Kelly - Smitten by Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/08\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/08\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham.jpg?fit=316%2C500&ssl=1","datePublished":"2023-03-08T12:32:33+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-08T12:32:35+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/08\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/08\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/08\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham.jpg?fit=316%2C500&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham.jpg?fit=316%2C500&ssl=1","width":316,"height":500},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/08\/review-the-portrait-of-a-duchess-by-diane-kelly\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Review \u2764\ufe0f The Portrait of a Duchess by Diane Kelly"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/","name":"Smitten by Books","description":"Where HEAs are guaranteed","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Smitten by Books","url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/cropped-smittenlogo-2017.png?fit=281%2C265&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/cropped-smittenlogo-2017.png?fit=281%2C265&ssl=1","width":281,"height":265,"caption":"Smitten by Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/5a4181aeb9cd5641e30023b9b4d3e00d","name":"beverley","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"beverley"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog"],"url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/author\/beverley\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham.jpg?fit=316%2C500&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"builder_content":"<img src=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham.jpg\" title=\"the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham\" alt=\"the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham.jpg?w=316&amp;ssl=1 316w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham.jpg?resize=190%2C300&amp;ssl=1 190w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 316px) 100vw, 316px\" \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Once upon a time she married in secret\u2026<\/strong><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">An activist painter of radicals and harlots, Cornelia Ludgate dismisses love and marriage as threats to freedom. But when an inheritance gives her the chance to fund the cause of women\u2019s rights\u2014on the condition she must wed\u2014she is forced to reveal a secret: she\u2019s already married. To a man she hasn\u2019t seen for twenty years.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Oh\u2026and her husband is a duke.<\/strong><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">A horse breeder with a clandestine taste for revolution, Rafe Goodwood never expected to become a duke. But now that the title is his, he is plotting to shock the ruling class with ambitions of reform\u2014and reveal the infamous Cornelia is his duchess. That just presents one problem: he must not fall in love with her\u2014again.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Now they must resist the temptation to rekindle an affair...<\/strong><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although determined not to sacrifice her principles for passion, Cornelia is still drawn to the man whose very being threatens her independence. Hurt too many times, Rafe can\u2019t risk love again\u2014especially with the woman who once shattered his heart. But a conspiracy to upend the inequalities of the aristocracy bring Cornelia and Rafe closer, forcing them to finally decide what\u2014and who\u2014they hold dear.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/smitten-recommends-banner-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"296\" height=\"72\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Mar 7, 2023<br \/><strong>Series:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>Society of Sirens<br \/><\/em><strong>Book:\u00a0<\/strong>2<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> Hot<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0HarperCollins<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0Avon Books\u00a0<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $6.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><em><strong>Feminist forward, eat the rich mentality, and sheer joy in the shameless pursuit of pleasure romance.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">This series breaks all conventions, and it\u2019s some of the freshest historical romance I\u2019ve read in years. We have a biracial heroine and artist, <strong>Cornelia Ludgate<\/strong>. Our hero is the recently inherited Duke of Rosemere and horse breeder <strong>Rafe Goodwin<\/strong>. Both have an intertwined past and an even more involved future if they choose to fight against their previous issues to take hold of a chance at happiness by doing what they love best.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">As far as tropes, this is all age gap, polyamory, unrequited love\/second chance romance, and a marriage of convenience.\u00a0 Yes, pearl clutchers beware, both Cornelia and Rafe enjoy an open relationship with multiple partners, some of which are featured in the story. This added some elements to the story that made it steamy and showcased a trend not written as much in traditionally published historical romances without an erotica tag.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">A lot of the tale between these two is provided via flashbacks, which is difficult not to include in a second-chance romance. What keeps this from a five for me is that very thing. I wanted more of the present-day story versus the flashbacks. I felt the book plot didn\u2019t have as much substance or ability for Cornelia and Rafe to work through their issues. Also, some of the present-day problems were left off page, and I feel like that could have replaced the flashbacks.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">What I enjoyed about the story included the setting, the world of historical romance from the lens of those fighting against the patriarchy. These women are trailblazers with risky, difficult lives. It\u2019s refreshing to see them wage war against archaic practices and belief systems while falling in love at the same time. Not to mention this book was like a bridging gap to help move another overarching piece of the story forward. I\u2019m interested to see where all these lead, and can only hope that other readers agree they want more.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">Overall, the book could stand alone, but it\u2019s better enjoyed by those who\u2019ve read the first in the series, <strong>The Rakess<\/strong>. This is for readers who enjoy historical romance with a more political, feminist undertone, and it\u2019s not anyone seeking a light and fluffy read.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Landra<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3F6dCEu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/3T0juo8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iBooks<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess-scarlett-peckham\/1141299393?ean=9780062935649\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">B&amp;N<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/the-portrait-of-a-duchess\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kobo<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Scarlett_Peckham_The_Portrait_of_a_Duchess?id=2TI_EAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Play<\/a><\/strong><\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29976"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29976\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29983,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29976\/revisions\/29983"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}