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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
Pretty sure I liked this better than A Princess in Theory. Portia goes to Scotland for a swordmaking apprenticeship and has instant chemistry with her somewhat-older boss. And she's good at everything she does (but undervalued and not always confident), and there's a Ren Faire and some nerdery, and a solid Highlander reference. Plus plenty of cameos from the characters we met in the first book.
Main critique: the guy on the cover doesn't have the arm muscles of someone who works a hammer and forge.
Main critique: the guy on the cover doesn't have the arm muscles of someone who works a hammer and forge.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Highly entertaining. I am now committed to reading this entire series and can't wait for the next one. All of Cole's characters are believable and endearing, and this is a fun universe to spend time in.
I wasn't a fan of Portia in the previous book. But she grew on me, and the love interest was perfect. Unputdownable book.
I love this series, and I hope it has a million books tbh, though I'm pretty sure it will just be three. I think A Duke by Default may actually be even better than A Princess in Theory, though that could just be that a hate to love romance with a grumpy guy is more my trope trash than the other.
Though, actually, I think it depends on your mood. A Princess in Theory delivers pure, A-grade fluff; despite the villainous subplot, it's entirely cute and adorable. A Duke by Default delivers some real depth, though, as Portia deals with substance abuse, family pressure, and the realization that she has ADHD. To my mind, it's a bit more well-rounded, but there are times I'd want the fluff.
Portia and Tavish have a great, classic hate to love dynamic complete with a side order of sexual tension. Like everyone else, he initially sees her as a spoiled, stuck-up brat, but he comes to realize, as the reader does, that she's a serious badass who rocks anything she sets her mind to. It's really great to get to watch Portia grow, and, though our issues weren't the same, I really relate to how mindfully she's transforming. It's very emotional watching her rebuild her relationships with others and with herself.
My one real disappointment is how little the swordmaking really came into it. She makes ONE sword, and it comes out great super conveniently. But whatever, don't get too excited about that and the book's fabulous.
Though, actually, I think it depends on your mood. A Princess in Theory delivers pure, A-grade fluff; despite the villainous subplot, it's entirely cute and adorable. A Duke by Default delivers some real depth, though, as Portia deals with substance abuse, family pressure, and the realization that she has ADHD. To my mind, it's a bit more well-rounded, but there are times I'd want the fluff.
Portia and Tavish have a great, classic hate to love dynamic complete with a side order of sexual tension. Like everyone else, he initially sees her as a spoiled, stuck-up brat, but he comes to realize, as the reader does, that she's a serious badass who rocks anything she sets her mind to. It's really great to get to watch Portia grow, and, though our issues weren't the same, I really relate to how mindfully she's transforming. It's very emotional watching her rebuild her relationships with others and with herself.
My one real disappointment is how little the swordmaking really came into it. She makes ONE sword, and it comes out great super conveniently. But whatever, don't get too excited about that and the book's fabulous.
Add .5 on top of my 3 stars for the Scottish accent, because it’s one of the most appealing accents on this planet. Also, her wonderful hair, that dress, and solid ADHD insights. Plus, fighting gentrification and his parents are fantastic. (Hers suck, because it’s a cast iron rule in romance that if you are a middle aged woman who is wealthy, you are a cold bitch to your daughter.)
The plot twist though, in which he finds out he’s actually a duke, was meh. I think he would have figured it out already due to his love of history and his property. Also the stuff around being a Duke which featured fancy suits and tons of training about how to take your tea, plus what felt like deeply unrealistic chatter from the Queen, turned me off entirely.
And I gotta say, the whole renaissance fairs thing, with modern day people using terms like ‘my liege’, is not my thing although I respect that many people love this stuff. I also don’t understand how he makes a living if it’s just him making the swords and knives to order. It seems like he wouldn’t have enough time to make enough of them.
The high points included the friendship between the heroine and her besties, and how we saw it carry over into texting and social media. Plus, her positive relationships with local women, she immediately reaches out to make friends with them.
So, I was loving parts of this - His accent, her hair, her friendships, the adhd insights - while not loving the whole.
Also, bummed the next book won’t be about her sister. A handicapped romance would rock. Hopefully someday.
The plot twist though, in which he finds out he’s actually a duke, was meh. I think he would have figured it out already due to his love of history and his property. Also the stuff around being a Duke which featured fancy suits and tons of training about how to take your tea, plus what felt like deeply unrealistic chatter from the Queen, turned me off entirely.
And I gotta say, the whole renaissance fairs thing, with modern day people using terms like ‘my liege’, is not my thing although I respect that many people love this stuff. I also don’t understand how he makes a living if it’s just him making the swords and knives to order. It seems like he wouldn’t have enough time to make enough of them.
The high points included the friendship between the heroine and her besties, and how we saw it carry over into texting and social media. Plus, her positive relationships with local women, she immediately reaches out to make friends with them.
So, I was loving parts of this - His accent, her hair, her friendships, the adhd insights - while not loving the whole.
Also, bummed the next book won’t be about her sister. A handicapped romance would rock. Hopefully someday.
This was a hell of a lot of fun and I’m going to have to pick up the first book. I grabbed it only partially because of the great cover but I enjoyed it immensely.
Portia is turning her ways around, starting with a swordmaking ⚔️ internship with Tav. Turns out, he's a duke! Good tension, fun setting, so much trying not to give into feelings. Another wonderful book by Alyssa Cole.
The one thing I felt was missing was seeing more consequences/comeuppance for the bad guy at the end. And maybe an epilogue. I love an epilogue. There's good news for me, though, because I get to read the next book in the series and see them again (I hope.)
The one thing I felt was missing was seeing more consequences/comeuppance for the bad guy at the end. And maybe an epilogue. I love an epilogue. There's good news for me, though, because I get to read the next book in the series and see them again (I hope.)