Reviews with content warning for Racism - Her Night with the Duke

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Her Night with the Duke by Diana Quincy

20 reviews

auteaandtales's review against another edition

funny lighthearted relaxing 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

4.0

Considering they got together in the second chapter, I was wondering what events would unfold to carry this for a whole book. It ended up being a fun read, I really liked the chemistry between the main characters, and Leela especially is such a kickass woman who knows what she wants and what she deserves and isn’t afraid to demand that.

I also enjoyed the side characters, and how Leela defended and supported other women, even when she was jealous of them. I feel like we don’t get enough of that in books, women do not need to and should not tear down other women especially over a man, which I’m glad did not happen here!

I didn’t enjoy it as much as Quincy’s other book, The Duke Gets Desperate, though. I felt like that one was a lot more ‘padded out’ and we got to see the love interests spend some time with each other to really connect. I wish we got to see that between these two characters, as well. It was there, just not quite as much as I would have liked.

But it was a fun, mostly lighthearted story with some serious themes of racism and misogyny. I will be continuing with the series.

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I also wasn’t a fan of the way it ended. Leela spoke on how she couldn’t have children and, although I felt like it was unclear as to whether or not she wanted children or if she was disappointed in herself for not ‘fulfilling her duties’, I liked that she was loved anyway.

Although I was happy for her when we find out she had a child with him, it felt wrong? Part of me is glad they got to experience what I assume Leela wanted for herself, but it felt like it was saying their ending wouldn’t have truly been happy if she remained unable to have children. Something about that just didn’t feel right.

But, again, I’m glad that this wish of theirs got fulfilled.

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dragongirl271's review against another edition

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Writing wasn't my style and just wasn't vibing with the book.

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apple_atcha_reading's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

I have some complicated feelings about this book, so I hope I don't ramble too terribly much, but also this is my review and no one can stop me.

TL;DR: Leela is a QUEEN and Hunt doesn't deserve her. A man should respect you AND make you orgasm, the two are not mutually exclusive.

I've seen a few others review this novel and they have such high praise for our female lead, Leela, and Hunt is "just there". I get it now. 100%.

The premise of the novel is our love interests, Lady Delilah Chambers (Leela) and the Duke of Huntington Elliot Townsend (Hunt), share a passionate, anonymous night together, promising to never meet again. But as fate would have it, their lives are about to be forever entangled.

I loved, loved, LOVED Leela. She was strong, independent, and refused to take any crap from anyone, but specifically from men who believed themselves superior than her. On paper, Leela should have been granted status and benefits from society due to her title as a lady dowager, but her "unsavory" heritage. Her father was a nobleman, who "lowered" himself to marry her mother, the daughter of a Palestinian merchant. Leela's father never recovered his status in the eyes of elite society; everyone labeled him the "Mad Marquess". When Leela came of age, she married an older nobleman who had children from his previous marriage. When her husband died, Leela ran away to be with her family and did not return, since the heir made it very clear Leela was not a part of the family or welcome in the manor.

Elliot Townsend, "Hunt", is attempting to salvage his family's reputation, run his duchy, and live as respectable and scandal free as possible. There is a rumored curse on the Townsend family, every other generation is doomed to ruin through self-indulgence and reckless behavior. Which is why he simultaneously regrets his unforgettable one night stand with a mysterious lone woman, and wants to meet her again. Until, he realizes who the mysterious woman he shared an evening with is: the stepmother of the young woman he intends to marry.

In my household this was referred to as the MILF book (affirmative). Leela is a MILF, but she is an independent woman who doesn't need Hunt, but enjoys him. However. I did not enjoy Hunt. I found him to be shallow and superficial. I found myself wanting to get back to Leela's perspective or their shared chapters. At first I was like "ok, he falls hard, insta-lust, etc" which I would have been fine with, BUT when

Hunt decides to propose marriage to Leela and meets her extended family and says he'll learn to tolerate them???

Leela RUN. In the back half of this novel when he started thinking about the future he desired with Leela, and

especially the mentions of his "tolerance" of her family and her future travel plans

, he gave me the ick. A real and true partner would have supported her dreams and goals (unless of course they were detrimental to herself or others), but Hunt really came off as wanting to tame Leela and have her act more traditional or in line with English standards WHICH HE SPENT SO MUCH TIME SAYING HE DIDN'T WANT? Throw the whole man away.

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sobremesa18's review against another edition

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3.5

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unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition

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challenging emotional slow-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

4.0

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booksandfomo's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted tense 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? Yes

5.0

Diana Quincy has officially become one of my favorite authors. From the first page, I was immediately transported into the world she created. It felt like I was watching an episode of Bridgerton.

The chemistry between Leela and Elliot jumped off the page. With one-night stand tropes, you don’t always see what happened between the MCs during that one night. It can be difficult to believe their chemistry development when the reader is simply told a one-night stand occurred. So it was refreshing to see how their mundane conversations stemmed from their one night together. And the TENSION!!! Whew, chile, historical romances hit differently when it comes to tension.

Leela is one of the best FMCs I’ve read in a while. If you want a definition of a boss, read this story. She was not going to let anyone tell her what to do or how to act. I also loved the relationships she had with both sides of her family. And um, I’m gonna need me a man like Elliot/Hunt. I was a bit worried his character was going to be a little dull, but in the end, he did everything he could to be with Leela. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t swoon.

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