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A review by mystic_dragon
The Duke Meets His Match by Karen Tuft
2.0
I really thought this was going to be a great read, but the pacing and lack of communication/connection between the two leads let me down.
Up until about 70% in, I was thinking this was going to be a 4 star read. It had a solid romance building, I loved the side character of 'Aunt Margaret', and the whole makeover/Fairy Godmother-esque aspect was enjoyable to read. However, especially unfortunate due to this book being predominantly a romance, the love story just did not flow or feel right. I liked reading the interactions between Susan and Aylesham, especially in the initial stages when they go from enemies to friends. However, it was like I'd missed 50 pages at the 70% mark, the feelings they have for each other go from cordial and friendly to lovestruck in an instant? And this would be slightly understandable had they truly gotten to know each other, except somehow we as the reader know the backstory of Aylesham and his history of illness and pneumonia, as well as Susan's own past as the jilted lover, and yet they never get to know this about each other? By the end of the book, they don't know each other and that really took away both from my enjoyment of the novel, and my belief that these two were really going to last after the events of this book. That being said, I liked the writing and the build up, it's just a real shame that the last quarter or so of the book botched it for me.
2.5 stars.
** This e-ARC was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!
Up until about 70% in, I was thinking this was going to be a 4 star read. It had a solid romance building, I loved the side character of 'Aunt Margaret', and the whole makeover/Fairy Godmother-esque aspect was enjoyable to read. However, especially unfortunate due to this book being predominantly a romance, the love story just did not flow or feel right. I liked reading the interactions between Susan and Aylesham, especially in the initial stages when they go from enemies to friends. However, it was like I'd missed 50 pages at the 70% mark, the feelings they have for each other go from cordial and friendly to lovestruck in an instant? And this would be slightly understandable had they truly gotten to know each other, except somehow we as the reader know the backstory of Aylesham and his history of illness and pneumonia, as well as Susan's own past as the jilted lover, and yet they never get to know this about each other? By the end of the book, they don't know each other and that really took away both from my enjoyment of the novel, and my belief that these two were really going to last after the events of this book. That being said, I liked the writing and the build up, it's just a real shame that the last quarter or so of the book botched it for me.
2.5 stars.
** This e-ARC was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!