Series: The Duchess Society, #5
Traits & Tropes: compromised; reformed rake; self-made hero; damaged hero
Publication Date: 04.20.23
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency; London/Suffolk, England, 1830
Heat Level: 4
Rating: 3/5
When Theodosia Astley’s engagement ball winds up in tatters, she finds herself unwittingly in need of rescue, and that happens to come from Dash Campbell, a gambler with a good heart beneath his scoundrel’s façade. She only meant to use the closest carriage to run away, it just so happened that the closest carriage was Dash’s very distinctive new model. Dash has always liked Theo ever since she taught him to read and write, so he’s happy enough to propose marriage to salvage her tattered reputation. Theo agrees but stipulates that they remain friends but not fall in love. Of course, that’s very much easier said than done.
I think maybe I had some unrealistically high expectations for this book and this couple especially. Beware of spoilers. I was very much looking forward to seeing Theo and Dash bond over their shared history of coming from the lower classes, and especially to Dash finally revealing his past. Instead, much of this bonding occurred off page or was left to be assumed, or otherwise quickly and vaguely glossed over. I wanted gritty, emotional scenes of these two ripping open their hearts for one another and instead, it was mostly filled with insecurities and assumptions from Theo and cluelessness from Dash as he tried to interpret her mixed signals. I hate the misunderstanding trope anyway and its deployment here was flimsy at best. Dash was almost never out of company with Ollie and Xander, both of whom were witnesses to the scene that caused Theo’s incongruous temper explosion, and yet this was still allowed to lead to a nonsensical separation between Theo and Dash. I wanted to see a mature hashing out of feelings and that wasn’t what we got.
I wanted to see more of these two falling in love despite their best efforts to remain friends, yet much of that occurred off page as well. I was not happy that Theo continued to think the worst of Dash and react with a volatile, rapid anger that didn’t abate with the application of reason and logic. Insecurity is highly relatable, but not in the nonsensical, airheaded way it was presented here. So much of the relationship development occurred off the page that I was left feeling like I really didn’t know Dash and Theo as a couple and wasn’t sure if they had a deep bond beyond their physical connection. There were just tons of missed opportunities here and I began to care less and less about Theo and her excessive pride and the ridiculous, plot stalling test she was putting Dash through and become more interested in the bits of intrigue thrown to us about Jasper Noble’s story. That said, though this book wasn’t everything I’d hoped, that could also be my current book slump doing some of the talking, and I’m very much looking forward to Jasper’s story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/762322400
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5486991207
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