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jackiepreston's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Classism, Death of parent, Racism, and Xenophobia
marylinaris's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Duke Who Didn’t is a fun book with a lot of heart.
Both of our main characters, Chloe and Jeremy, were lovely people and I loved, loved, loved their romance.
Their set up reminded me of the “I like women who read” scene from P&P, but drawn out to 200 pages, with ‘Lizzie’/Chloe being roped in to help find a well-read woman. The author managed to draw this out without making the characters look dumb/naive or like they are bad at communicating. That made it all the more fun and engaging.
Chloe also knew what she wanted, when she made the “there is only one room at the inn”-trope happen for her - good for her!
I’m also a huge fan of Chloe’s relationship with her father, it was just perfectly heartwarming, supportive and real.
I genuinely love how the author integrated Asian characters into the normally overwhelmingly white regency literary setting. They are not magically there with everyone being colorblind and accepting. These characters are not only servants and face racism every day but they rather live in this believable corner of the world where they build a safe place.
While the romance and family relationships take center stage, the book does discuss serious topics. The characters have faced racism and they discuss unfair treatment in school systems, exploitation of immigrant workers, the feelings of mixed-race children trying to fit in with their parents’ cultures and societies.
Somehow this book manages to give these topics the seriousness and space they deserve and yet the book overall managed to not take itself too seriously. We got two characters having a meta conversation about the “there is only one room at the inn”-trope, a Duke forgetting to collect rent for decades, and a main character who makes jokes as easily as he breathes.
Both of our main characters, Chloe and Jeremy, were lovely people and I loved, loved, loved their romance.
Their set up reminded me of the “I like women who read” scene from P&P, but drawn out to 200 pages, with ‘Lizzie’/Chloe being roped in to help find a well-read woman. The author managed to draw this out without making the characters look dumb/naive or like they are bad at communicating. That made it all the more fun and engaging.
I’m also a huge fan of Chloe’s relationship with her father, it was just perfectly heartwarming, supportive and real.
I genuinely love how the author integrated Asian characters into the normally overwhelmingly white regency literary setting. They are not magically there with everyone being colorblind and accepting. These characters are not only servants and face racism every day but they rather live in this believable corner of the world where they build a safe place.
While the romance and family relationships take center stage, the book does discuss serious topics. The characters have faced racism and they discuss unfair treatment in school systems, exploitation of immigrant workers, the feelings of mixed-race children trying to fit in with their parents’ cultures and societies.
Somehow this book manages to give these topics the seriousness and space they deserve and yet the book overall managed to not take itself too seriously. We got two characters having a meta conversation about the “there is only one room at the inn”-trope, a Duke forgetting to collect rent for decades, and a main character who makes jokes as easily as he breathes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Racism, and Sexual content
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