Blooming with Books: The Duke and the Lady Gardener ~ Review with Excerpt

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for

The Duke and the Lady Gardener by Alissa Baxter,

The Duke and the Lady Gardener
The Grantham Girls #1
By Alissa Baxter

Alexandra Grantham does what she can to provide for the poor. But now her questionable activities are about to get her into trouble when she targets her new neighbor, Mr. Robert Chanderly. Suddenly she has someone not intimidated by her activities as a lady highwayman. Worse, he knows who she is, and her fate rests in his hands.

But when her London Season begins, rather than ruining her, Robert pays her attention, effectively elevating her in the eyes of society. But her outspoken ways have made her enemies, enemies who are in the ton. Can Robert protect her as her enemies draw close?

The Duke and the Lady Gardener is the first book in The Grantham Girls series, and it is a fun read. Alexandra feels burdened to help those in need in her neighborhood. But she doesn't have the means to support them on her own, and the other landowners don't seem to care. But when she challenges Robert, she never expected him to care, much less listen to her. Taking over his newly inherited estate, Robert decides to keep his true identity a secret in an effort to thwart the attentions of title-hungry mothers. He didn't expect to find a red-haired miss who was outspoken and cared little for her marriage prospects. This is a clash of wills and personalities, as Alexandra and Robert learn that not everything is as it seems at first glance, and sometimes love blooms in the most unexpected places.

I was provided a complimentary copy of the book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion, all thoughts expressed are my own.

Excerpt

The thieves rode swiftly across the countryside, saying not a word to one

another as they sped away. Finally, they came to a secluded copse where

they drew up their horses and silently dismounted beside an open carriage,

which had been carefully concealed amongst the bushes. The leader picked

up a bundle from the conveyance and slipped away behind some trees while

the larger highwayman harnessed the horses.

He went about his task efficiently, muttering to himself as he put the

animals in their traces. Finally, the man raised his voice: “Our escape this

time was too narrow, Miss Grantham. When I saw the barrel of that gun in

your face—. Your brother would have my blood if he knew I aid you in such

foolishness.”

“It isn’t foolishness, Ben, and we managed to escape, so don’t fuss. Is my

appearance tidy enough?”

Ben scowled at the young lady who emerged from behind the bushes.

“Aye, miss, you look tidy enough. But that wouldn’t be the case if a

bloodstain happened to mark those pretty clothes of yours.”

“You concern yourself far too much over me. I admit our plans went

slightly awry today, but Lady Luck has smiled on us—as she always does.”

She laughed up at him as he assisted her into the carriage.

Ben continued to frown. “Well, in my experience, miss, it don’t pay to

tempt fate. We’d be mad to continue this for much longer.”

About the Book

Title: The Duke and the Lady Gardener
Series: The Grantham Girls #1
Author: Alissa Baxter
Publisher: ‎ Dragonblade Publishing
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Genre: Regency/Historical Romance (sweet, wholesome)

Love blossoms for a Lady Gardener when she robs a Duke. . . and then steals his heart.

Alexandra Grantham becomes Lady Robin Hood, stealing from the rich to provide for the local farm workers in the district. However, when her new neighbor, Mr. Robert Chanderly, unmasks her, Alexandra cannot hide her horror as he has it within his power to ruin her reputation. But, instead of blighting her social chances when they arrive in London, Robert decides to bring Alexandra into high fashion, and she effectively takes the ton by storm.

Enemies abound in the Capital, however, causing trouble for Alexandra at every turn. So when an adversary threatens to reveal Alexandra’s dangerous secret, Robert must do everything within his power to defend the honor of the woman he loves—or lose the only lady he’s ever wished to make his wife.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

Also Available

About the Author

Alissa Baxter wrote her first Regency romance during her long university holidays. After traveling the world, she settled down to write her second Regency novel, which was inspired by her time living on a country estate in England. Alissa then published two chick lit novels, The Truth About Clicking Send and Receive(previously published as Send and Receive) and The Truth About Cats and Bees (previously published as The Blog Affair).

Many years later, Alissa returned to her favorite era. She writes Regency romances that feature women in trend-setting roles who fall in love with men who embrace their trailblazing ways… at least eventually. Alissa currently lives in Johannesburg with her husband and two sons.

Connect with Alissa by visiting alissabaxter.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.