Series: Duke Dynasty, #4
Traits & Tropes: fake relationship; compromised into marriage
Publication Date: 05.25.21
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency; London, England
Heat Level: 2
Rating: 3.5/5
Sheridan Wolfe, the Duke of Armitage, and his colorful array of half siblings are convinced the untimely deaths of their mother’s three husbands can only be explained by foul play and they’re determined to at last uncover the truth. Sheridan is tasked with questioning one of the most difficult ladies in the Ton, which brings him closer to her intriguing daughter, Vanessa Pryde. But since the death of his fiancé years ago, Sheridan has been determined to guard his heart from potential hurts and remain a bachelor. It’s of no consequence anyway as Vanessa is said to be wildly in love with a well-known, rakish playwright.
Even knowing how Sheridan despises schemes, Vanessa believes some may be necessary if she hopes to catch him. Her flirtation with the playwright is only meant to rouse Sheridan’s jealousy and cause him to truly notice her. As her scheme begins to work, perhaps a little too well, Sheridan and Vanessa find themselves involved in a fake courtship, all the while Sheridan attempts to conduct his quiet questioning, and their mutual attraction becomes impossible to ignore.
At last, the murders have been solved! I’ve loved the mystery aspect of these stories and would definitely recommend reading the series in order. I enjoyed this one, though I must say I figured out the villain frustratingly early and Vanessa’s scheming left me more annoyed than charmed. Vanessa had to grow on me a lot because I wanted her to stand up to her awful mother and work openly for what she wanted instead of the underhanded manipulation going on so long. Sheridan was relatably reticent, but I did want more from him. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but just more somehow. I’d hoped for more honest, openness from both Vanessa and Sheridan but it was so late in coming that the ending felt rushed and the love/relationship itself could’ve used more depth. I would’ve liked a bit more time for Sheridan and Vanessa to be together after they were finally honest with each other and the scheming was over, rather than having so much of the book devoted to said scheming, but we did get a very satisfying, Christmassy epilogue with all the previous main characters present. The conclusion was a bit quick to be the culmination of a storyline that has continued for so long, but it was still satisfying enough. I think I just wanted to see a bit more of the development of their love beyond the physical attraction. As an aside, their first time was also one of the most awkward, cringeworthy bedroom scenes I’ve ever read and some of the following scenes with Sheridan’s mother just made it weirder. Neither Sheridan nor Vanessa were my favorites, but they were still solid characters and I liked that it was Vanessa who helped him with his learning disability without this being the main focus of the book. Overall, this book didn’t wow me and I would’ve liked more romance, but it was enjoyable and I look forward to Juncker’s novella.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/223893984
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3530583553
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