Good morning! I would like to welcome Amy Quinton to my blog today. Amy will be awarding a heart shaped enamel, kiln fired copper charm on a leather corded necklace (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a copper fold formed quill on a leather corded necklace. (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn host. Host prize and commenter prize are designed and made by Keri Sereika at Pink Lemonade
BLURB:
Upstanding
duke desperately seeks accident-prone wife from trade…
England 1814: Miss
Grace (ha!) Radclyffe is an oftentimes hilariously clumsy, 20-year-old orphan
biding her time living with her uncle until she is old enough to come into her
small inheritance. Much to her aunt’s chagrin, she isn’t: reserved (not with
her shocking! tendency to befriend the servants), sophisticated (highly
overrated), or graceful (she once flung her dinner into a duke’s face). But she
is: practical and in love… maybe… perhaps… possibly…
The Duke of
Stonebridge is an agent for the Crown with a tragic past. His father died
mysteriously when he was 12 years old amid speculation that the old duke was
‘involved’ with another man. He must restore his family name, but on the eve of
his engagement to the perfect debutante, he meets his betrothed’s cousin, and
his world is turned inside out… No matter, he is always: logical (men who
follow their hearts are foolish) and reserved (his private life is nobody’s
business but his own). And he isn’t: impulsive or in love… maybe… perhaps…
possibly…
Can he have what he
wants and restore his name? Can she trust him to be the man she needs?
Published & Release Date: Liquid
Silver, January 26, 2015
Time
and setting: 1814 England
Genre:
Historical Regency Romance
Length:
322 pages
Heat
Level: 1 Scorching Hot Flame
Rating: 3.75 Gold Crowns
Vikki’s Musings
I received What the Duke Wants from the
publisher via Goddess Fish Promotions for an honest review. The book
description sounded interesting, and I always love books set during the Regency
period.
Ambrose Langtry, the tenth Duke of Stonebridge is
ready to set up his nursery and chooses Lady Beatryce, the daughter of The Earl
of Swindon, a longtime family friend. When he arrives at a house party the earl
and his countess are giving, the last thing he expects is to stumble across
Grace Radclyffe in a mud puddle needing rescue.
Grace Radclyff, the niece of the earl and cousin to Beatryce,
is known for having unfortunate mishaps. In essence, she is clumsy. When she
looks up into the most brilliant green eyes she has ever seen, she immediately falls
under their spell. When she finds out they
belong to none other than to her cousin’s duke, she feels most embarrassed and
disappointed. Why did those eyes have to belong to someone so far above her in
status and almost engaged to Beatryce?
Can Grace fight the growing attraction she and the
duke feel for each other and retain her honor, or will she throw caution to the
wind and give into the incredible passion she feels?
What
the Duke Wants has plenty of moments of hilarity and
witty dialogue between Grace and Ambrose. There is also an interesting mystery
running along with the romance between the duke and Grace. The pacing is
excellent and the plot engaging, keeping me entertained. I enjoyed the book for
the most part, but there were a few minor problems.
While I immediately fell in love with Grace’s
character, I did not care for Ambrose at all. I found him, crass, rude and
without honor in his dealings with Grace throughout most of the book.
Personally, I have no idea why a sweet, innocent young miss would fall in love
with him. I guess this is a case where youth overrides good sense and love is
indeed blind.
I found Ms. Quinton’s writing style interesting,
especially Grace’s internal thoughts. She had me chuckling out loud several
times. I always enjoy humor in a book. However, her use of parenthesis scattered
throughout the story was a bit distracting. I also would suggest she try to make her
dialogue and narrative more in line for the period. Some of her phrasing sounded
too modern for a Regency tale. Although quite amusing. Here is an example:
“Oh,
Hello mud. Nice to meet you again. We really need to stop meeting this way.”
Nonetheless, an amusing read and I will definitely
want to read, Clifford’s story. He is a delightful character and will make a
great hero. If you enjoy a light-hearted tale with a bit of mystery
intermingled with an outstanding ending, then you will enjoy What
the Duke Wants. Happy reading!
Excerpt:
A knowledgeable lady understands that, typically, the best
way to make a good first impression is not to fall bottom first into a puddle
of mud. Alas, Grace Radclyffe, with her inclination towards unfortunate mishaps,
found this knowledge to be generally useless in the reality of her everyday
life.
Therefore, despite the uncomfortable feeling of wetness
seeping through her gown and the faint-though-nearby sound of dripping mud, she
did what any sensible lady of good upbringing would do in less than ideal
circumstances. She cursed. With conviction.
“Bloody hell. Not again.”
So maybe she didn’t say that. But it was something she
occasionally thought in her mind, though only in her mind.
In actuality, she chuckled lightheartedly (because it’s
always best to set yourself and any potential rescuers at ease in awkward
situations) and graciously procured the proffered handkerchief dangling over
her left shoulder. Then, after clearing the mud from her face so she could
actually see and with cheeks tinged only slightly from embarrassment (because,
really, that kerchief hadn’t been dangling over her shoulder on its own), she
peered up to thank her would-be rescuer and
Gasped. Out loud.
For staring down at her with one eyebrow lifted in question,
were a pair of eyes—emerald green eyes to be more precise. The most deeply
penetrating emerald green eyes she had ever seen in all of her near twenty-one
years.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Amy Quinton
is an author and full time mom living in Summerville, SC. She enjoys writing
(and reading!) sexy, historical romances. She lives with her English husband,
two boys, and two cats. In her spare time, she likes to go camping, hiking, and
canoeing/kayaking… And did she mention reading? When she’s not reading,
cleaning, or traveling, she likes to make jewelry, sew, knit, and crochet (Yay
for Ravelry!).
Amy has lived
in or around theCharleston, SC area her entire life. When she’s not home, at
the beach (weather permitting), or camping in and around the Great Smoky
Mountains (Check out Mile High Campground and Devils Fork State Park!), she
loves to visit the United Kingdom. She loves the history, the culture, and the
people – hence her love for Scottish and Regency Romances. She especially loves
to visit the Isle of Skye – in the Highlands of Scotland; where the scenery is
both rugged and breathtaking.
Amy graduated
from the College of Charleston, a liberal arts college located in beautiful,
historic Charleston, SC. She worked 10 years in the computer industry as a
software designer before becoming a full time mom and now, a full time
novelist.
Buy Links
EBook:
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-the-duke-wants-amy-quinton/1121008848?ean=9781622101849
Don't forget to enter the drawing via Rafflecopter. Here is the link:
