With her trademark wit, New York Times bestselling author Grace Burrowes delivers a charming Regency romance featuring a duke who excels at brooding in solitude and the lady who refuses to leave him in peace.
Nathaniel, Duke of Rothhaven, lives in seclusion, leaving his property only to gallop his demon-black steed across the moors by moonlight. Exasperated mamas invoke his name to frighten … moonlight. Exasperated mamas invoke his name to frighten small children, though Nathaniel is truly a decent man — maybe too decent for his own good. That’s precisely why he must turn away the beguiling woman demanding his help.
Lady Althea Wentworth has little patience for dukes, reclusive or otherwise, but she needs Rothhaven’s backing to gain entrance into Polite Society. She’s asked him nicely, she’s called on him politely, all to no avail — until her prize hogs just happen to plunder the ducal orchard. He longs for privacy. She’s vowed to never endure another ball as a wallflower. Yet as the two grow closer, it soon becomes clear they might both be pretending to be something they’re not.
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I’m blown away by this outstanding romance!
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and Wow, I have been missing out! The writing is refreshingly erudite, clever, and witty and showcases the intelligence of her characters at every step. The elegant vocabulary, the intricate descriptions of emotionally-driven thought processes, the sophisticated, elegant use of language — it all beautifully captures the spirit of verbal sparring for position and influence with highly sophisticated and nuanced observations of societal interactions.
These characters instantly come alive off the page as Althea and Nathanial find they have so much in common despite having been raised at opposite ends of the class spectrum. The story starts with a simple plan wherein Althea requests Nathaniel’s help in navigating “polite” society. What actually ensues is a carefully orchestrated series of minor events that erode the status quo, expose its structural weaknesses, and force every character, including a few other not-inconsequential relatives, to examine their lives and desire to do better, to be more than they ever dreamed.
I loved the cheeky way Althea stood up to Nathaniel, which is more than balanced by his direct but not-quite-condescending manner with her. As they lean more toward and on each other, secrets are revealed that seem insurmountable, which resulted in a series of beautifully haunting descriptions of a love that can’t be pursued.
Just when we think things can’t become any more complicated, an unexpected twist shakes everything up all over again. This story delicately demonstrates a juxtaposition of the best and worst of society before revealing a truly brilliant resolution. Nathaniel and Althea get a solid and sigh-inducing HEA, and another couple is hinted at having just started their equally complex journey of the heart.
Every now and then I’m treated to a book that is so brilliantly executed that it rises above all its competition while raising the genre itself. This book is one of my all-time top ten favorites and I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s time now to go find another of this author’s books to dive into. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.