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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
medium-paced
I finished this book fairly quickly. It's a solid romance novel with a confident and strong female lead and a likable male lead. Their relationship was fun to track especially since Stella is not a simpering fool like other stereotypical bodice-ripper leads. She's intelligent, sarcastic, spunky, and sexually aware. It was refreshing! I also really enjoy the details of regency life that Eloisa James includes in her books. It's less shiny than the Bridgerton world, a little grittier and real with talks of chamber pots and pelisses and curricles. I'm such a history nerd, those details make me ridiculously happy. I'm so happy to have discovered James and I'm looking forward to reading all of her books!
What a disappointment. The books is absolutely adrift in time, the relationship feels unearned and the story... Overstayed it's welcome. I couldn't bring myself to continue, so I'm gonna bail.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Eloisa James takes readers on a witty banter-filled journey through Regency England in the third installment of the Would-Be Wallflowers series, Not That Duke.
Silvester Parnell, the Duke of Huntington, and the bespectacled redheaded heroine Lady Stella Corsham, began as secondary but essential characters in The Reluctant Countess . Initially dismissing Lady Stella because he believes himself to be in love with someone else, Silvester's perception changes when he realizes she is far more than meets the eye under those eyeglasses.
Lady Stella, with her substantial dowry, attracts fortune-hunting suitors who barely pretend to tolerate her bluestocking ways in order to bolster their flagging finances. Meanwhile, Silvester, whom she perceives as a sinfully handsome but unsuitable choice, doesn’t need her money and finds her eccentric ways magnetic.
Though their relationship morphs into something far deeper than friendship and mutual respect, they aren’t the ideal fairytale, as Silvester is accused of marrying Stella for all the wrong reasons. He grows increasingly desperate as he tries to convince Stella that his love for her is genuine, despite her belief that he remains in love with someone else.
Eloisa James masterfully crafts the relationship between the couple, infusing it with both passion and vulnerability. Their interactions are filled with clever wordplay and deep emotion.
What sets Not That Duke apart is the complex and multi-dimensional characters. Silvester is not just a dashing duke but a man who is willing to fight for and protect the woman he loves. Stella, despite her quirks, is strong-willed and intelligent, refusing to settle for anything less than true love.
Beloved characters from James’ other works How to Be a Wallflower, The Reluctant Countess, and My American Duchess make frequent appearances. Not That Duke can be enjoyed as a standalone novel but works best placed in the timeline of the previous series novels.
_____
Tropes: bluestockings/spinsters, Big Duke Energy, enemies to friends to lovers, Regency Romance
Heat Level: 1.5/5, open door, on page, emotional intimacy
_____
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Collins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date July 25th, 2023.
Silvester Parnell, the Duke of Huntington, and the bespectacled redheaded heroine Lady Stella Corsham, began as secondary but essential characters in The Reluctant Countess . Initially dismissing Lady Stella because he believes himself to be in love with someone else, Silvester's perception changes when he realizes she is far more than meets the eye under those eyeglasses.
Lady Stella, with her substantial dowry, attracts fortune-hunting suitors who barely pretend to tolerate her bluestocking ways in order to bolster their flagging finances. Meanwhile, Silvester, whom she perceives as a sinfully handsome but unsuitable choice, doesn’t need her money and finds her eccentric ways magnetic.
Though their relationship morphs into something far deeper than friendship and mutual respect, they aren’t the ideal fairytale, as Silvester is accused of marrying Stella for all the wrong reasons. He grows increasingly desperate as he tries to convince Stella that his love for her is genuine, despite her belief that he remains in love with someone else.
Eloisa James masterfully crafts the relationship between the couple, infusing it with both passion and vulnerability. Their interactions are filled with clever wordplay and deep emotion.
What sets Not That Duke apart is the complex and multi-dimensional characters. Silvester is not just a dashing duke but a man who is willing to fight for and protect the woman he loves. Stella, despite her quirks, is strong-willed and intelligent, refusing to settle for anything less than true love.
Beloved characters from James’ other works How to Be a Wallflower, The Reluctant Countess, and My American Duchess make frequent appearances. Not That Duke can be enjoyed as a standalone novel but works best placed in the timeline of the previous series novels.
_____
Tropes: bluestockings/spinsters, Big Duke Energy, enemies to friends to lovers, Regency Romance
Heat Level: 1.5/5, open door, on page, emotional intimacy
_____
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Collins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date July 25th, 2023.
3.5⭐️ I liked this book. It was cute and I liked the story. I just still wish Lydia had gotten more of a consequence. She was awful through all three books and nothing happens really. No one calls her out other than Stella the one time
funny
lighthearted
