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A review by dianed
The Duke's Accidental Wife by Erica Ridley
5.0
With the 7th book in this series it is finally the Duke’s turn to find happiness and love. The Duke of Ravenwood was forced to stay behind when all his friends went off to war. At the time he was jealous but after seeing them come back emotionally and physically wounded he realized that he was the lucky one. This book along with the first book, The Viscount’s Christmas Temptation, makes nice bookends to the entire series. In the first Lady Amelia is running the Duke’s house and she now hand’s the duties over to Kate in this last book.
Ravenwood is known for being cold and aloof but in reality he is a hard-working Duke who feels that his duty as a peer must come first. But, when he is alone in his office he is a romantic who writes poetry and holds out the hope of marrying for love. He isn’t aloof, he’s shy. The first few chapters of this book are reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice and just like Mr Darcy, our Duke isn’t proud he’s shy.
On the other hand, Katherine Ross is a woman who is friendly with everyone. She enjoys life to the fullest. She doesn’t care to marry for love because she doesn’t plan to marry at all. Imagine her shock and surprise when she is accidentally caught in a storage closet with the Duke and they are forced to marry. In addition to a new bride, the Duke also inherits an elderly aunt who has raised Katherine since she was a girl and who is now beginning to show signs of dementia.
These 2 are opposites in every way. He is a Duke who needs an heir and she is a duchess who is deathly afraid of childbirth and didn’t plan to have children. Their marriage gets off to a frosty start but outside the bedroom, they begin to forge a friendship.
The interaction between Ravenwood and Katherine is among the best of the series. He tries to be more open while she tries to be structured. They each put aside their fears to be open to loving the other.
Ms Ridley has crafted a wonderful series which shows the real-life side of the return from war and it’s impact on the men who fought and the women left to pick up the pieces on their return. Throughout the entire series, the Duke has been in the background as a trusted friend who cares as much for the men who fought as their wives. This book can be read on it’s own but for a truly delightful experience one would do well to pick up the entire series.
Ravenwood is known for being cold and aloof but in reality he is a hard-working Duke who feels that his duty as a peer must come first. But, when he is alone in his office he is a romantic who writes poetry and holds out the hope of marrying for love. He isn’t aloof, he’s shy. The first few chapters of this book are reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice and just like Mr Darcy, our Duke isn’t proud he’s shy.
On the other hand, Katherine Ross is a woman who is friendly with everyone. She enjoys life to the fullest. She doesn’t care to marry for love because she doesn’t plan to marry at all. Imagine her shock and surprise when she is accidentally caught in a storage closet with the Duke and they are forced to marry. In addition to a new bride, the Duke also inherits an elderly aunt who has raised Katherine since she was a girl and who is now beginning to show signs of dementia.
These 2 are opposites in every way. He is a Duke who needs an heir and she is a duchess who is deathly afraid of childbirth and didn’t plan to have children. Their marriage gets off to a frosty start but outside the bedroom, they begin to forge a friendship.
The interaction between Ravenwood and Katherine is among the best of the series. He tries to be more open while she tries to be structured. They each put aside their fears to be open to loving the other.
Ms Ridley has crafted a wonderful series which shows the real-life side of the return from war and it’s impact on the men who fought and the women left to pick up the pieces on their return. Throughout the entire series, the Duke has been in the background as a trusted friend who cares as much for the men who fought as their wives. This book can be read on it’s own but for a truly delightful experience one would do well to pick up the entire series.