Series: Never a Wallflower, #1
Traits & Tropes: titled hero; compromised into marriage
Publication Date: 02.09.21
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency; Yorkshire/London, England, 1795
Heat Level: 3.5
Rating: 3
Edward Stanhope, the Duke of Thornfield, prefers routine in his life and his own company to that of other people. His idiosyncrasies have given him a reputation for being cold which suits him just fine. But when his attempt to find solitude in his private library is thwarted by the strange woman sitting in his chair, their encounter devolves into a battle of wills and ends in a fiery kiss. Unfortunately, his aunt, along with several other houseguests, chooses that moment to enter his private domain and by the end of the night Edward finds himself toasting his engagement to Miss Georgiana Bly.
With no dowry and a family that is barely among the gentry, Georgiana never expected to marry and was content with her books. She’s wholly unprepared to become a duchess and now must spend nearly every moment with the surly duke and his aunt learning as much as she can about her new role. She finds herself surprisingly attracted to the duke and he seems to return that desire, however unwittingly, but as the date of their forced wedding draws nearer, it becomes apparent that connection may not be enough to create a peaceful union.
This book had to grow on me quite a bit. My first impression of the heroine was not a positive one; even if she thought Edward to be a servant, despite evidence to the contrary, her behavior towards him was rather unbearably arrogant and rude. Especially given her own station and her familiarity with people looking down on her, I would’ve expected better and this just made her come off as shrewish. I found the duke’s idiosyncrasies to be achingly relatable and his neurodiverse traits made him interesting and unique, especially in a historical. He had no idea how to communicate effectively with Georgiana, but he kept trying and I loved that. I also came to appreciate Georgiana’s tenacity and her eventual support and understanding of Edward while she also pushed him to grow as a person.
There was clear physical chemistry between Edward and Georgiana, but I loved that they actually worked to learn each other’s love languages and develop a true relationship beyond that physical connection. I liked that these main characters both had issues to overcome individually as well. There was clear influence from Pride and Prejudice here, resulting in an opportunity for Edward to show himself to be quite a good man. The quiet romance between Georgiana’s sister, Elizabeth, and Edward’s best friend, the Earl of Montrose, was quite cute, but I thought Georgiana did let Edward down a bit in this sequence. The writing was rather clunky in places, there were some plot points introduced that went unresolved and a couple of scenes which were a bit over-the-top, but overall, this was an entertaining read with adorably awkward main characters.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3789787741
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/824886526
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