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A review by emilyharmonica
My Darling Duke by Stacy Reid
adventurous
emotional
relaxing
sad
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? Yes
4.0
“You are the only person I’ve ever wanted to share my silence.”
There’s little I love more than a quality Beauty and the Beast retelling, and this one was just… *swoon*
In a desperate attempt to save her family from poverty, Katherine Danvers announces her engagement to Alexander Masters, Duke of Thornton, a man she has never met and who hasn’t been seen in society circles for nearly a decade. The duke, meanwhile, has shut himself away in his Scotland estate after a tragic accident left him brutally scarred and confined to a wheelchair. When he gets wind of rumors that a young lady has announced their engagement to the society pages, he travels to London to get to the bottom of her deception. And the rest, as they say, is history.
I’m a sucker for stories where the love interests find healing and redemption in one another. I loved how self-aware these characters were, how honest they were with themselves and each other in spite of their stubborn resistance to their chemistry. The strongest moments of the book were in the protagonists’ quiet moments together, sharing bites of an apple alone in an abandoned cottage, or spending time in the Duke’s library, or admiring the Scottish countryside from high up in a tree. It’s not the spiciest romance novel out there, but the sexual tension and romantic angst were off the charts.
I’d recommend this book to all readers of historical romance, as well as any reader who enjoys leaning into a tad bit of melodrama. I’m looking forward to reading more books in this series, as well as others from Stacy Reid’s backlist!
Bonus quote just because:
“You make me hope,” he snarled low and dangerous. “Like a goddamn idiot, you make me pray, you make my throat burn with the need to scream and beg God to give you to me, to treasure, to worship…to love until the end of my days.” He had to close his eyes to control his ragged breathing.
Overall rating: 4/5
Spice level: 2/5
There’s little I love more than a quality Beauty and the Beast retelling, and this one was just… *swoon*
In a desperate attempt to save her family from poverty, Katherine Danvers announces her engagement to Alexander Masters, Duke of Thornton, a man she has never met and who hasn’t been seen in society circles for nearly a decade. The duke, meanwhile, has shut himself away in his Scotland estate after a tragic accident left him brutally scarred and confined to a wheelchair. When he gets wind of rumors that a young lady has announced their engagement to the society pages, he travels to London to get to the bottom of her deception. And the rest, as they say, is history.
I’m a sucker for stories where the love interests find healing and redemption in one another. I loved how self-aware these characters were, how honest they were with themselves and each other in spite of their stubborn resistance to their chemistry. The strongest moments of the book were in the protagonists’ quiet moments together, sharing bites of an apple alone in an abandoned cottage, or spending time in the Duke’s library, or admiring the Scottish countryside from high up in a tree. It’s not the spiciest romance novel out there, but the sexual tension and romantic angst were off the charts.
I’d recommend this book to all readers of historical romance, as well as any reader who enjoys leaning into a tad bit of melodrama. I’m looking forward to reading more books in this series, as well as others from Stacy Reid’s backlist!
Bonus quote just because:
“You make me hope,” he snarled low and dangerous. “Like a goddamn idiot, you make me pray, you make my throat burn with the need to scream and beg God to give you to me, to treasure, to worship…to love until the end of my days.” He had to close his eyes to control his ragged breathing.
Overall rating: 4/5
Spice level: 2/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Ableism