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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Duke Undone starts when an art student (Lucy) stumbles upon a naked man in an alley. An attractive naked man. She uses him as inspiration for a piece. The man, a Duke (!!), eventually sees. The likeness is shocking. He comes looking. They fall in love. The Duke Undone has class differences, secret identities, a very villainy villain, a broken betrothal, a masterful critique of the asylum system in Victorian England, a rescued sister, and a happily ever after.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Sexual content, Violence, Kidnapping
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved this book so much. I glanced at other reviews and I didn’t find many people as smitten as I am, but I just loved the plot, how Lucy and Anthony were their own flawed but still actively healing characters, and that nothing about this book was predictable for me. It was engrossing throughout, and Lowell’s writing in so many moments left me in awe. I was a goner after the fact that one of their special hideaways is a forgotten greenhouse. I highlighted a lot in this book, but this quote was my favorite
"Reality isn't perfect," he said, his voice raw. "But I will work every day to fill my own holes so I'm not a sieve for your love. So it can flow back to you, along with my own.
"Reality isn't perfect," he said, his voice raw. "But I will work every day to fill my own holes so I'm not a sieve for your love. So it can flow back to you, along with my own.
DNF @ 40%. It was cute, but I listened to the audiobook & just lost interest. Will probably pick this up again, but get the physical copy.
I liked the fresh perspective of this novel, however, the pacing was difficult. The first half, maybe 2/3 of the novel seemed to drag, while the remainder moved almost too quickly and too slowly at the same time. I really like the concept of the book, but the execution wasn’t for me.
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A lovely historical romance that handled the class difference of the main characters in an interesting and a believable way. Plus art! And betrayal!
Loveable characters:
No
Whenever I'm in the mood for a romance, I know I'll always find a winner with a Victorian England one. As I hoped, this checked every box!
Lucy Coover is a painting student at the Royal Academy, and while women are now able to attend the school, she is annoyed that the classes studying anatomy and the naked form are still only accessible to the boys. So when she stumbles across a naked man in an alley, she takes full advantage of the sight and paints her best work yet. A work sold and intercepted by the very subject of that painting, the Duke of Weston. Barely hanging onto the chance to finally come into his fortune, Anthony cannot afford for the portrait or any other ... likenesses to become public. He and Lucy come to an agreement that will benefit them both, more so than they expect *wink*
I really enjoyed this and am kind of mad I let it stew on my TBR for so long (especially since I received an early e-copy). It was difficult to put down and my reading involved 100-page inhalation sessions. It's very engaging, and part of that is owed to the vibrant characters and their situations. There's a lot of nuance tucked under their problems, and coupled with a well-researched historical aspect, it made for a compelling read. I admit the pace was somewhat slow, particularly in the beginning. That said, I didn't mind because the pace allowed for the reader to really settle into scenes with a great attention to detail and conversation that helped shape these characters.
Lucy is an art student in a school where she is automatically poorer than every one of her peers. Where they all come from noble and wealthy families, Lucy lives over her aunt's dress shop, where she helps out in between feverish painting sessions. I greatly admire women in these types of books who know they are of lower status and don't give a sh*t. Lucy most certainly doesn't. Sure, she'll do her best to hide certain aspects of her situation, such as the struggle to purchase the best art supplies, but she takes what she has and owns it. And when she sets her mind to saving her building from wrongful eviction, she does what it takes. If that means forcing her way into a Duke's home and being chased by a handful of footmen before telling a woman that her dress is arsenic and killing her, then so be it.
Anthony is the second son, but following his brother's fatal scandal, is now the Duke of Weston. A duke without control of his fortune isn't much of one, though. Anthony is trapped within the constraints of his malicious father's will, which dictates he can only gain control of his inheritance at the age of 30(!) so long as he toes the line. This means no scandal, no whores, no alcohol, etc. I wasn't too sure what to think of Anthony, because on the one hand you feel utterly outraged on his behalf, but on the other he is his own worst enemy. Just because he can't drink doesn't mean he doesn't do so in private. I really liked him, but he did take some warming to, and I think I came to like him as Lucy did, which was a nice character arc to experience.
I was hoping for a swoony romance and this most certainly delivered. The chemistry sparked pretty early between these two characters and promised an excellent story. They gravitated towards each other in a way that I really appreciated, especially within the duke and commoner trope that I always tend to enjoy. As I said before, the nuance behind each of their situations really helped build these characters up and gave their relationship and draw to each other several new layers that I greatly liked.
I hear this is meant to be part of a companion novel series, with another coming that tells Lavinia's story. Gotta admit, after how much I enjoyed this, I will most definitely be looking into it.
Lucy Coover is a painting student at the Royal Academy, and while women are now able to attend the school, she is annoyed that the classes studying anatomy and the naked form are still only accessible to the boys. So when she stumbles across a naked man in an alley, she takes full advantage of the sight and paints her best work yet. A work sold and intercepted by the very subject of that painting, the Duke of Weston. Barely hanging onto the chance to finally come into his fortune, Anthony cannot afford for the portrait or any other ... likenesses to become public. He and Lucy come to an agreement that will benefit them both, more so than they expect *wink*
I really enjoyed this and am kind of mad I let it stew on my TBR for so long (especially since I received an early e-copy). It was difficult to put down and my reading involved 100-page inhalation sessions. It's very engaging, and part of that is owed to the vibrant characters and their situations. There's a lot of nuance tucked under their problems, and coupled with a well-researched historical aspect, it made for a compelling read. I admit the pace was somewhat slow, particularly in the beginning. That said, I didn't mind because the pace allowed for the reader to really settle into scenes with a great attention to detail and conversation that helped shape these characters.
Lucy is an art student in a school where she is automatically poorer than every one of her peers. Where they all come from noble and wealthy families, Lucy lives over her aunt's dress shop, where she helps out in between feverish painting sessions. I greatly admire women in these types of books who know they are of lower status and don't give a sh*t. Lucy most certainly doesn't. Sure, she'll do her best to hide certain aspects of her situation, such as the struggle to purchase the best art supplies, but she takes what she has and owns it. And when she sets her mind to saving her building from wrongful eviction, she does what it takes. If that means forcing her way into a Duke's home and being chased by a handful of footmen before telling a woman that her dress is arsenic and killing her, then so be it.
Anthony is the second son, but following his brother's fatal scandal, is now the Duke of Weston. A duke without control of his fortune isn't much of one, though. Anthony is trapped within the constraints of his malicious father's will, which dictates he can only gain control of his inheritance at the age of 30(!) so long as he toes the line. This means no scandal, no whores, no alcohol, etc. I wasn't too sure what to think of Anthony, because on the one hand you feel utterly outraged on his behalf, but on the other he is his own worst enemy. Just because he can't drink doesn't mean he doesn't do so in private. I really liked him, but he did take some warming to, and I think I came to like him as Lucy did, which was a nice character arc to experience.
I was hoping for a swoony romance and this most certainly delivered. The chemistry sparked pretty early between these two characters and promised an excellent story. They gravitated towards each other in a way that I really appreciated, especially within the duke and commoner trope that I always tend to enjoy. As I said before, the nuance behind each of their situations really helped build these characters up and gave their relationship and draw to each other several new layers that I greatly liked.
I hear this is meant to be part of a companion novel series, with another coming that tells Lavinia's story. Gotta admit, after how much I enjoyed this, I will most definitely be looking into it.