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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Romantic. That’s the one word review.
It’s not just a romance, but it is romantic. The prose engages all of your senses. I felt like I was watching an old movie, everything over acted and overdramatic, rich and glittering, atmospheric scenes from foggy London to sunny France. And my heart just yearned for it all.
Sure it’s a romance, Helene and William fall in love and have a happily ever after. By definition, a romance novel. But not all romance novels have this sense of…well, romance that engages all your senses.
I will admit I was hesitant at the description of “starchy duke”. That description has been a bit overdone and one note. William, Duke of Albemarle, had many notes. That’s kind of a pun for his virtuosity on the piano he represses lest his emotions overcome his control. His story, of coming to grips with his own artistic soul AND his duty to his family name (blah blah) I found to be the more compelling of the 2.
Helene just lives to dance, dances to live. What more purpose is there than that? Through William she starts to actually live, but she also struggles with accepting her own role in her own life, and in society. She may take longer to fall in love, but when she does, she doesn’t fight it (as much) as William does.
This book also has an interesting secondary story which comments on homosexuality in the Regency period, that contrasts the FF vs the MM societal (non) acceptance.
I was so close to ranking a 5. Some of the dialogue is a bit overwrought, but I’m just chalking it up to being overdramatic.
There’s a few seeds planted for maybe some follow up stories in this same world??
It’s not just a romance, but it is romantic. The prose engages all of your senses. I felt like I was watching an old movie, everything over acted and overdramatic, rich and glittering, atmospheric scenes from foggy London to sunny France. And my heart just yearned for it all.
Sure it’s a romance, Helene and William fall in love and have a happily ever after. By definition, a romance novel. But not all romance novels have this sense of…well, romance that engages all your senses.
I will admit I was hesitant at the description of “starchy duke”. That description has been a bit overdone and one note. William, Duke of Albemarle, had many notes. That’s kind of a pun for his virtuosity on the piano he represses lest his emotions overcome his control. His story, of coming to grips with his own artistic soul AND his duty to his family name (blah blah) I found to be the more compelling of the 2.
Helene just lives to dance, dances to live. What more purpose is there than that? Through William she starts to actually live, but she also struggles with accepting her own role in her own life, and in society. She may take longer to fall in love, but when she does, she doesn’t fight it (as much) as William does.
This book also has an interesting secondary story which comments on homosexuality in the Regency period, that contrasts the FF vs the MM societal (non) acceptance.
I was so close to ranking a 5. Some of the dialogue is a bit overwrought, but I’m just chalking it up to being overdramatic.
There’s a few seeds planted for maybe some follow up stories in this same world??
I just couldn't get into it, and the author's writing made me feel stupid. I'll be the first to say that I'm not a liberal arts aficionado, but the constant Shakespeare references made me feel so dumb. And the first spicy scene was cringe, there wasn't even a discussion beforehand, and he handled it so poorly. I just couldn't. This really wasn't my jam.
emotional
medium-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
Thank you to Giovanna Siniscalchi for sending me an early copy of The Duke's Dream.
Helene de Beaumont is part of a group of French émigrées who are part of the ballet company at Covent Garden during the Napoleonic Wars. Helene is a diligent dancer who has been working up to dancing en pointe in hopes that she'll be promoted from soloist to principal. During a rehearsal, she catches the eye of William Harcourt, the Duke of Albemarle, who is a leading member of the Tory government and a chief proponent of the war against Napoleon in addition to his role as a primary investor in the ballet company. William has been haunted by a sprite in his dreams for years who looks just like Helene and once he sees her, he can't get Helene out of his head. He pursues her as his mistress and pushes for her advancement to principal, despite the fact that Helene is not interested in signing any contract with him. But while Helene is not interested in a formal agreement with William, that doesn't mean she isn't attracted to him. And when she's finally caught, the heat between these two becomes a fire.
I was primed to really like this book because it has several of my favorite things all wrapped in a delicious, very hot package. We have a super starchy hero, a performer heroine and the Napoleonic Wars.
Let's start with the starchiest hero, William, Duke of Albemarle. He is the definition of "men will do anything to avoid therapy." The man is leading the charge against dissent in the government and has done everything he can to protect the status quo. Helene completely knocks him off course because not only does she reject his proposal but she is out of his dreams, his subconscious. William has spent his entire life suppressing his passionate side because of conditioning from his father in response to his mother's choices. He literally gets anxious when he thinks about allowing himself off his leash, even to play piano. I loved watching him realize that his father's conditioning, while helpful in his political career, is what's keeping him from happiness and he needs to chart his own course.
I am an opera singer so I was always going to be down for a heroine who performs on stage. In the Regency (and beyond), women on stage were seen as up for grabs by wealthy men. Opera singers, actresses and ballet dancers were all potential mistresses for the influential and titled. But Helene doesn't want that life– she wants to be valued as a dancer and to have a career based off her skill, not her beauty. She worked so hard to get to soloist and was killing herself to get to principal. I loved that when she did finally get her big break, she used it to protect the corps dancers by closing the dressing room to men and promoting her pristine reputation to change the way people saw dancers.
The Napoleonic Wars is one of my favorite parts of the Regency because it introduces an element of espionage and political intrigue into romance novels. Helene was smuggled out during the Reign of Terror by her ballet mistress. She doesn't remember much about her family, just flashes of her home life, nor does she know what happened to her brother. She assumed he died in the Terror, like her parents. The ambiguity of Helene's past combined with William's position in government led to some delicious tension, especially as more is revealed about Helene's family.
This was my first book by Giovanna Siniscalchi but it will not be my last. I really enjoyed it and look forward to more from this series!
Helene de Beaumont is part of a group of French émigrées who are part of the ballet company at Covent Garden during the Napoleonic Wars. Helene is a diligent dancer who has been working up to dancing en pointe in hopes that she'll be promoted from soloist to principal. During a rehearsal, she catches the eye of William Harcourt, the Duke of Albemarle, who is a leading member of the Tory government and a chief proponent of the war against Napoleon in addition to his role as a primary investor in the ballet company. William has been haunted by a sprite in his dreams for years who looks just like Helene and once he sees her, he can't get Helene out of his head. He pursues her as his mistress and pushes for her advancement to principal, despite the fact that Helene is not interested in signing any contract with him. But while Helene is not interested in a formal agreement with William, that doesn't mean she isn't attracted to him. And when she's finally caught, the heat between these two becomes a fire.
I was primed to really like this book because it has several of my favorite things all wrapped in a delicious, very hot package. We have a super starchy hero, a performer heroine and the Napoleonic Wars.
Let's start with the starchiest hero, William, Duke of Albemarle. He is the definition of "men will do anything to avoid therapy." The man is leading the charge against dissent in the government and has done everything he can to protect the status quo. Helene completely knocks him off course because not only does she reject his proposal but she is out of his dreams, his subconscious. William has spent his entire life suppressing his passionate side because of conditioning from his father in response to his mother's choices. He literally gets anxious when he thinks about allowing himself off his leash, even to play piano. I loved watching him realize that his father's conditioning, while helpful in his political career, is what's keeping him from happiness and he needs to chart his own course.
I am an opera singer so I was always going to be down for a heroine who performs on stage. In the Regency (and beyond), women on stage were seen as up for grabs by wealthy men. Opera singers, actresses and ballet dancers were all potential mistresses for the influential and titled. But Helene doesn't want that life– she wants to be valued as a dancer and to have a career based off her skill, not her beauty. She worked so hard to get to soloist and was killing herself to get to principal. I loved that when she did finally get her big break, she used it to protect the corps dancers by closing the dressing room to men and promoting her pristine reputation to change the way people saw dancers.
The Napoleonic Wars is one of my favorite parts of the Regency because it introduces an element of espionage and political intrigue into romance novels. Helene was smuggled out during the Reign of Terror by her ballet mistress. She doesn't remember much about her family, just flashes of her home life, nor does she know what happened to her brother. She assumed he died in the Terror, like her parents. The ambiguity of Helene's past combined with William's position in government led to some delicious tension, especially as more is revealed about Helene's family.
This was my first book by Giovanna Siniscalchi but it will not be my last. I really enjoyed it and look forward to more from this series!
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is perfect for fans of Bridgerton with the romance, society gatherings and angst. There are touch her and 💀 moments, forbidden romance and some politics.
The book is mostly character driven until the last 20% when the plot comes to the forefront with the politics and talk of war in Europe. There were vague mentions of this throughout the first 80% of the book, but there was much more focus on the relationship between Helene, the Covent Garden Theatre principal ballerina, and William, the Duke of Albermarle.
I admit that I wasn't a fan of William for most of the book. He was possessive and obsessed with Helene (not in a good way) which made her feel uncomfortable at times with his behaviour and power play. She was right to stick up for herself and her opinions which was refreshing in historical romances like this. However, William did change by the end of the book once he thought he had lost Helene. It was the biggest character development of the book (in a good way). He learnt to respect her wishes and became a better person for it.
I liked Helene. Her character was different to most historical romance FMCs in that she was independent and had a career, rather than just being a member of upper class society. She kept her personality throughout even with her personal struggles.
3.75 🌟
Thanks to Giovanna Siniscalchi for reaching out and asking if I would be an ARC reader for this book. It was an enjoyable read.
The book is mostly character driven until the last 20% when the plot comes to the forefront with the politics and talk of war in Europe. There were vague mentions of this throughout the first 80% of the book, but there was much more focus on the relationship between Helene, the Covent Garden Theatre principal ballerina, and William, the Duke of Albermarle.
I admit that I wasn't a fan of William for most of the book. He was possessive and obsessed with Helene (not in a good way) which made her feel uncomfortable at times with his behaviour and power play. She was right to stick up for herself and her opinions which was refreshing in historical romances like this. However, William did change by the end of the book once he thought he had lost Helene. It was the biggest character development of the book (in a good way). He learnt to respect her wishes and became a better person for it.
I liked Helene. Her character was different to most historical romance FMCs in that she was independent and had a career, rather than just being a member of upper class society. She kept her personality throughout even with her personal struggles.
3.75 🌟
Thanks to Giovanna Siniscalchi for reaching out and asking if I would be an ARC reader for this book. It was an enjoyable read.