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A review by holtfan
Anna and the Duke by Kathryn Smith
2.0
What an absurd book. It is a starter drug for real romance novel addicts: the teen version of a much more lascivious tale. I hesitate to even tag it as Regency because it is so historically inaccurate; I don't even know where to begin. There is no way a girl like Anna would be allowed in Almack's. Her Mama's vulgarity alone would keep her out. Or this nonsense about the Duke's step-mother and sister going into 'half mourning' and out in public before the full year concluded. I don't care what the Duke wished, not happening! And also, special licenses aren't just some piece of paper you fill in after the wedding. The fact of having a special license in no way means you can just marry wherever you please.
Ugh.
Historical inaccuracy aside, these characters. Where to begin. First of all, they're sugar sweet. Like, even the semi-villainous ones are good people. And not good people in that they generally make positive life decisions. I mean, they haven't a single flaw. Anna and her Scottish lord are horrendously perfect people who read poetry and moon over one another (which someone everyone misses?!)
They are really quite terrible at hiding their love for one another. They also jump to the most random conclusions. There is literally no proof the Duke's brother is plotting against him; a few veiled comments from Anna's mother about how it would be better if the title went to the brother and Anna is sending panicked messages to the Duke letting him know his life in danger. But she bases it on literally nothing.
You might say that of all the emotions in this book. The characters' innate and unexpected goodness, the alarm about a possible attack, the romance (which, arguably, comes off the best because it stems from physical attraction...) all comes out of nowhere.
But overall, the story kept things clean. Loads of kissing but not a hint of anything else. I guess that was nice. And I'll probably read the sequel because A. I have it and B. I do love a terrible Regency novel.
Ugh.
Historical inaccuracy aside, these characters. Where to begin. First of all, they're sugar sweet. Like, even the semi-villainous ones are good people. And not good people in that they generally make positive life decisions. I mean, they haven't a single flaw. Anna and her Scottish lord are horrendously perfect people who read poetry and moon over one another (which someone everyone misses?!)
They are really quite terrible at hiding their love for one another. They also jump to the most random conclusions. There is literally no proof the Duke's brother is plotting against him; a few veiled comments from Anna's mother about how it would be better if the title went to the brother and Anna is sending panicked messages to the Duke letting him know his life in danger. But she bases it on literally nothing.
You might say that of all the emotions in this book. The characters' innate and unexpected goodness, the alarm about a possible attack, the romance (which, arguably, comes off the best because it stems from physical attraction...) all comes out of nowhere.
But overall, the story kept things clean. Loads of kissing but not a hint of anything else. I guess that was nice. And I'll probably read the sequel because A. I have it and B. I do love a terrible Regency novel.