Series: Union of the Rakes, #2
Traits & Tropes: reformed rake; titled hero; mistaken/fake identity
Genre/Setting: Historical, Regency; London, England, 1817
Publication Date: 07.28.20
Heat Level: 4/5
Rating: 3.5/5
Jessica McGale's family makes the best soap to be found in England, but just as she was hoping to expand their production, a fire put paid to those plans. Now working as a lady's companion, Jess knows she must find investors to keep the business afloat and keep herself and her two siblings together. When she winds up with two weeks in London without her employer, Jess sees her chance. Pretending to be the fictional widow Lady Whitfield, Jess finds her way into the circle of London's wealthy and business-minded, including the entirely too attractive Duke of Rotherby. His support and influence could fix everything if Jess can just rein in her reaction to him.
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Noel, the Duke of Rotherby, is well used to sycophants and flatterers who know him as a wild rake with a casual interest in investments. Only his closest friends know the real man beneath the societal facade. When he meets Lady Whitfield, he's delighted by her sharp wit and obvious intelligence. He's unprepared for his reaction to her and struggles with trust, but Jess makes him feel comfortable just being himself.
As Jess' bold plan comes to fruition, she struggles to keep up the ruse and it is soon obvious that attaining her goal will mean losing Noel. He's not interested in temporary; for once Noel wants a woman by his side always, but Jess' secret is a big one and it might be too much for Noel to overcome given his difficulty with trusting others.
I enjoyed this book overall, just not as much as I wanted to. I liked the Cinderella-esque stance, but Jess' lie went on way too long. It would've been much more satisfying for me if she'd confided in Noel as he did in her. Jess didn't open up to Noel much and this made the relationship feel a bit one-sided to me, especially given the fact that, in my opinion, Jess didn't do nearly enough groveling or apologizing in the end. It also annoyed me that Jess, knowing the precariousness of her lie, had the gall to call Noel presumptuous. He was nothing but good to her and didn't deserve the disdain she showed him for the first half or so of the book, even if she was trying to keep her distance to protect her scheme. For his part, Noel was a fantastic hero, one of my new favorites in fact. I loved that he could be vulnerable and a bit submissive, but there was never any doubt that he was a strong and powerful man. He was fabulous and I just thought he deserved more from Jess. I enjoyed this book, despite my annoyance with Jess and the length of her lies, and I very much look forward to Duncan's book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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