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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a fun read if you can forgive a couple of eye-rolling moments (like the eventual proposal)the fact that the overall premise is something along the lines of the "X-Factor" and thus very anachronistic!
That said though, it's well written and the principal and secondary characters are well-drawn.
That said though, it's well written and the principal and secondary characters are well-drawn.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
fast-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
Aside from the fact that the Bachelor style courtship would never have happened, this was an enjoyable read. I appreciated how independent Tessa was.
Have you ever read a book that starts off really well and you really like it…but then one thing happens and you’re like “ooh, this is not what I wanted, but interesting…” And then it just slowly spirals out of control? Yea. That was my experience reading How to Marry a Duke. To be fair, the plot was interesting enough to keep me engaged. But I ultimately lost interest in the romance because the heroine just bugged me so much.
What I liked:
The humour and the prose. The historical romance version of the Bachelor. This is actually not my first time reading a historical romance version of the Bachelor–At the Bride Hunt Ball by Olivia Parker has a similar set up. I also really liked the fact that this was a friends to lovers romance. The chemistry was great. The banter was witty and funny. I also loved Tristan’s family and his friend, Hawk. The best scenes are the ones with Tristan, his sister, his mom, Hawk, and Tessa discussing Tristan’s courtship. Such a fun and engaging dynamic!
What I didn’t like:
The courtship and the plot revolving the villain were both interesting enough to keep my attention, but I ultimately lost interest in the romance towards the last third of the book. And this mostly has to do with the heroine, who has been keeping this ~big~ secret from everyone. Listen, in the context of the time period, I understand why she doesn’t want to confide in anyone. Her reputation is at risk and her secret has to do with something that had happened to her in the past, something that is actually abusive, as the hero himself correctly points out when he finds out. But a big altercation happens at a certain point in the story, which literally puts her life in danger. It obviously has to do with her secret, but instead of asking for help right away, she goes along with her life, prioritizing her matchmaking. It is a poor decision in so many ways and I was just so fed up by that point.
Her secret also adds a lot of unnecessary angst and guilt in the story, which I didn’t like at all. There is good angst, and then there is…bad angst. This was bad angst. Tessa refuses to communicate with Tristan. She refuses his proposal without telling him why and she refuses to confide in him, even though she supposedly trusts him. He repeatedly confides in her, but she never returns the favour. I get it, I really do – it’s not her fault and her reputation is at risk, so she has every reason to be apprehensive. She is scared, humiliated, and vulnerable. But her lack of trust in Tristan even after significant relationship development doesn’t sit well with me. It got to a point where I just got tired of all the drama, the guilt, and the shame.
Now I mentioned earlier that the heroine bugged me. It’s not the secret or the unnecessary angst that bugged me. I understood where she was coming from when she decided to hide her secret. That's not my problem. It’s Tessa's hypocrisy that bugged me. Tessa is…a horrible matchmaker lol. She’s incredibly biased and forces the hero to feel guilty about the girls he decides to eliminate. She tells him that she doesn’t want him, but she also doesn’t want the other girls to compete for his hand. She forces Tristan to keep this “plain” girl in the competition. And when it comes down to the “plain” girl and another pretty girl, Tessa wants Tristan to choose the “plain” one because she doesn’t want him to marry an attractive girl he might sexually desire. She doesn’t tell him this, but she thinks of it a few times, which bugged me so much. She reminded me of the heroine from Three Weeks with Lady X – hypocritical heroines “championing” the plain wallflowers. Tessa wants Tristan, but she pushes him away when he proposes to her. And on top of that, she has the nerve to get jealous when the other girls want him. And even though she knows Tristan wants to marry a woman he desires, she doesn’t want him to pick the “attractive” girl because obviously the “plain” girl, whom she has been championing this entire time, wouldn’t be sexually desirable to the hero. I…can’t.
Anyway, this book had potential and if the heroine hadn’t bugged me so much, I would have probably enjoyed it a lot more.
What I liked:
The humour and the prose. The historical romance version of the Bachelor. This is actually not my first time reading a historical romance version of the Bachelor–At the Bride Hunt Ball by Olivia Parker has a similar set up. I also really liked the fact that this was a friends to lovers romance. The chemistry was great. The banter was witty and funny. I also loved Tristan’s family and his friend, Hawk. The best scenes are the ones with Tristan, his sister, his mom, Hawk, and Tessa discussing Tristan’s courtship. Such a fun and engaging dynamic!
What I didn’t like:
The courtship and the plot revolving the villain were both interesting enough to keep my attention, but I ultimately lost interest in the romance towards the last third of the book. And this mostly has to do with the heroine, who has been keeping this ~big~ secret from everyone. Listen, in the context of the time period, I understand why she doesn’t want to confide in anyone. Her reputation is at risk and her secret has to do with something that had happened to her in the past, something that is actually abusive, as the hero himself correctly points out when he finds out. But a big altercation happens at a certain point in the story, which literally puts her life in danger. It obviously has to do with her secret, but instead of asking for help right away, she goes along with her life, prioritizing her matchmaking. It is a poor decision in so many ways and I was just so fed up by that point.
Her secret also adds a lot of unnecessary angst and guilt in the story, which I didn’t like at all. There is good angst, and then there is…bad angst. This was bad angst. Tessa refuses to communicate with Tristan. She refuses his proposal without telling him why and she refuses to confide in him, even though she supposedly trusts him. He repeatedly confides in her, but she never returns the favour. I get it, I really do – it’s not her fault and her reputation is at risk, so she has every reason to be apprehensive. She is scared, humiliated, and vulnerable. But her lack of trust in Tristan even after significant relationship development doesn’t sit well with me. It got to a point where I just got tired of all the drama, the guilt, and the shame.
Now I mentioned earlier that the heroine bugged me. It’s not the secret or the unnecessary angst that bugged me. I understood where she was coming from when she decided to hide her secret. That's not my problem. It’s Tessa's hypocrisy that bugged me. Tessa is…a horrible matchmaker lol. She’s incredibly biased and forces the hero to feel guilty about the girls he decides to eliminate. She tells him that she doesn’t want him, but she also doesn’t want the other girls to compete for his hand. She forces Tristan to keep this “plain” girl in the competition. And when it comes down to the “plain” girl and another pretty girl, Tessa wants Tristan to choose the “plain” one because she doesn’t want him to marry an attractive girl he might sexually desire. She doesn’t tell him this, but she thinks of it a few times, which bugged me so much. She reminded me of the heroine from Three Weeks with Lady X – hypocritical heroines “championing” the plain wallflowers. Tessa wants Tristan, but she pushes him away when he proposes to her. And on top of that, she has the nerve to get jealous when the other girls want him. And even though she knows Tristan wants to marry a woman he desires, she doesn’t want him to pick the “attractive” girl because obviously the “plain” girl, whom she has been championing this entire time, wouldn’t be sexually desirable to the hero. I…can’t.
Anyway, this book had potential and if the heroine hadn’t bugged me so much, I would have probably enjoyed it a lot more.
What a lovely surprise this book was. I didn't expect much when it began. It starts off as a tongue-in-cheek ode to 'The Bachelor', regency style, but it becomes a sweet little love story.
I absolutely loved the MCs. They were perfectly done. Charming, interesting. You want them to get together. The conflict with Mortland is added in well. It doesn't overwhelm the story of Tristan and Tessa falling in love, but it gives enough drama to move the story along.
This isn't a super steamy, sexy read, but it is a good love story.
The only reason I didn't give the story five stars was because I think the big reveal of Tessa's secret took a bit too long. It didn't have as much impact for me because I was getting a bit tired of the idea after so many pages with no pay off.
I absolutely loved the MCs. They were perfectly done. Charming, interesting. You want them to get together. The conflict with Mortland is added in well. It doesn't overwhelm the story of Tristan and Tessa falling in love, but it gives enough drama to move the story along.
This isn't a super steamy, sexy read, but it is a good love story.
The only reason I didn't give the story five stars was because I think the big reveal of Tessa's secret took a bit too long. It didn't have as much impact for me because I was getting a bit tired of the idea after so many pages with no pay off.
So this was a bit longer than it needed to be but good. Think of The Bachelor and you've got this book nailed. Totally improbable on so many levels but it made me smile on several occasions. Just the guilty pleasure I needed after a string of shitty books.
Spinster, Tessa is a matchmaker for wallflowers, that is, until she meets Tristan, the Duke of Shelbourne who requests her services to find him a bride. Tessa comes up with the novel idea (today it's a reality TV show called The Bachelor) of gathering 24 girls from whom Tristan can select. But! While Tristan is trying to fulfill his legacy by getting an heir he finds himself attracted to his matchmaker - oh, what the scandal!
Meanwhile, we learn more about Tessa and find out she has a secret in her past...
At times (about half-way in) I found it difficult to put the book down, I just really wanted to know how this was going to turn out and what secret Tessa was harboring. The author did a good job telling a good story.
Meanwhile, we learn more about Tessa and find out she has a secret in her past...
At times (about half-way in) I found it difficult to put the book down, I just really wanted to know how this was going to turn out and what secret Tessa was harboring. The author did a good job telling a good story.
Not sure how it got to be 3am but my book is finished and I’m pleased. Only one real love scene about 3/5 of the way through and one quick one at the end. But overall it was delightful and I will likely read more by this author.