Along Came a Duke by Elizabeth Boyle
Publisher & Release Date: Harper
Collins Publishers, May 29, 2012
Time
and setting: 1810, Sussex, London
Genre:
Historical Regency Romance
Length:
388 pages
Heat
Level: 1 Scorching Hot Flame
Rating: 4.5 Gold Crowns
Book Description:
New York Times bestselling RITA® Award winner Elizabeth Boyle is
a wonder, and with Along Came a
Duke—the first book in her delectable Rhymes with
Love series based on well-known nursery rhymes—she proves once more that no one
writes wittier, more endearing and original historical romance. Returning once
more to England during the colorful Regency Era, Boyle transports readers to
the small town of Kempton, where a local curse prevents the female residents
from wedding—a fact that cannot deter a plucky young heiress who needs to marry
to inherit her fortune, as she strikes out for London to wed a rakish and
unsuspecting duke. Funny, touching, and wonderfully sensuous, Along Came a Duke is a prime example of the exceptional
romantic magic that puts Elizabeth Boyle in the same master class as Lisa
Kleypas and Christina Dodd.
Buy
Links:
Add to
Goodreads:
Vikki’s
Musings
It has been a while since I have read a book by Elizabeth
Boyle. I am so glad I picked Along Came a Duke to re-enter Ms.
Boyle’s amazing writing world. I thoroughly enjoyed being transported back to
Regency England in this wonderful story. Elizabeth Boyle does not disappoint!
This is a fast-paced romance from start to finish. In fact, while
listening to it, I had a difficult time stopping to take care of mundane tasks.
This book has a sweetly developing love story, yet Ms. Boyle kept it going with
excellent sexual tension, one of the things I love most about historical
romances.
Tabitha Timmons is a wonderful heroine. With just the right
amount of spunky kid rolled into the waif character arch. While this starts out
as a Cinderella story, it is much more than that. I loved the heroine’s lively spirit
and saucy tongue when dealing with the bad boy duke.
At first, I didn’t think I would like the Duke of Preston’s
character. He is a bit brash in the beginning and Ms. Boyle paints his character
as an uncaring, notorious rake to such a point that he is no longer received by
polite society. As the story unfolds, his back story pulled at my heart, and
had me misty-eyed for the sad young boy he must have been. His need to always
have company when he dines shows his vulnerable side.
Since I listened to the audio version, I want to mention the
narration by Susan Duerden. She does an outstanding job giving all the
characters distinctive voices, from the heroine to the servants. It was easy to
figure out who was speaking. Unfortunately, I struggled while listening to the
narrative portion of the book. Ms. Duerden has a bit of a sing-song tone to her
voice. However, that is not present during the dialogue.
I always love a traditional Regency romance with the added
benefit of the slow burn of sexual tension building to the actually love scene.
If you enjoy historical romances, then Along Came a Duke is sure to please.
I know I found it completely satisfying. Happy reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment