4 stars I read the first book in this series, Duke of Madness, and rated it five stars. Somehow, I missed book #2, until I received this one, book #3. The nice thing is that each story is free-standing and doesn’t require knowledge of the others. I’m not sure if I’ll go back to book two, mostly because I have so many ARCs in need of review that I can’t see myself purchasing one of these books to review it. On the other hand, if the author gave me an e-copy and requested a review, I’d be happy to do so because the series is enjoyable. As in book one, and I assume in book two, the story is told by the current heroine in the form of a story of how she met her husband. Diana Kendricks, another student from Mrs. Rutley’s school for girls, comes to visit Mrs. Rutley on her deathbed, and at Mrs. Rutley’s request, she recounts the story they all know. The thing I like most about this method of storytelling is that there is no doubt that the two main characters will end up together, so even though there is tension and uncertainty about how things will unfold, there’s a certain sense of calm as well. The problem is that the POV switches to allow the narrator to tell the story from the POVs of both main characters. Once you get into the story, it doesn’t matter, but if you analyze it, it doesn’t make sense. Diana’s neglectful father sends her gifts rather than giving her his attention and this turns her off to men, especially those who give gifts. Additionally, she remembers a time when her parents were in love, but now they’re estranged and she fears a similar fate. She’s afraid of trusting a man because “what if he promises her the moon only to giver her its reflection?” As a result, Diana is determined to be a spinster, until she meets James. James Barrington, a local marquess, is the man she didn’t know she was looking for. I’m not entirely sure how likely it is that so many of the landed gentry class can live in such a small geographic area, but putting that aside, the books are fun. Although James is not against marriage, he has some personal issues that prevent him from seeking one. Once he meets Diana, he tries to find a way around those issues because he so enjoys her company. Meanwhile, Mr. Stonebrook plays the villain. He cozies up to Diana’s father and gains his blessing to court Diana, despite the fact that she has told him she doesn’t want that. He manipulates her into believing this is what her father wants and it would be a great way to please him, thus gaining his love. James has his own history with Stonebrook and despises him, and we find out what a jerk he is as the story unfolds. Baldwin, James’ butler, serves as his confidant. As such, he can be a bit saucy with James and has the freedom to implement plans without his approval. I loved one conversation between them for Baldwin’s dry wit: “Would you like me to send for a rug maker, my lord?” Baldwin asked James. “I believe I can find one willing to call from London.” James turned and scowled at the butler. “Why would I need a rug maker?” “Forgive me for saying so, my lord, but you’ve been pacing the room so much over the past two days that I’m afraid the one you have is wearing thin. And once the rug is gone, you may want to consider getting your shoes resolved.” I also loved the banter between Diana and James, as she demonstrates her intelligence and cleverness, and impresses him. And this bit of internal dialogue from James when he first meets Diana was quite amusing: “What woman ran from a marquess? How dare she! Surely, society was on the brink of disaster when a woman was so inconsiderate toward a man of his station.” Mrs. Rutley features prominently in this story, as Diana’s confidant and her biggest advocate. The theme of secrecy is a bit heavy-handed. Every character seems to be holding a secret, and every character seems to suffer the consequences of those secrets, some more than others. For the most part, things work out well in the end and everyone achieves their just ending. May 22, 2022
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Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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