Jenny Barnett dreams of becoming a chef. She works in the family business her parents worked so hard to create from scratch and finds great pleasure in her simple, country life.When meeting the very handsome but alarmingly popular among the ladies Thomas Haddington, the famous Duke of Pemberton, a whole new world full of possibilities opens up to her, and she goes through a complete makeover to … makeover to win over his heart.
However, battling her feelings of love seems to be the only way in a society ruled by status and social standing…
With not only his entire dukedom’s future at stake but also his painful past forever hanging upon him like a dark cloud, Thomas soon discovers that everything in his life left worth fighting for is suddenly threatened by utter extinction.
More tragically, the enemy is no other than the only person he would put his hand in the fire to prove him innocent…the scheming Earl of Denham or, in other words, his very own uncle.
*A Pure Lady for the Broken Duke is a historical Regency romance novel of 80,000 words (around 400 pages). No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a sweet happily ever after.
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The Duke of Pemberton was left at the alter and never really got over it. He knew he had to eventually marry but couldn’t find a lady among the ton who he really wanted! He was having a really good time dating–but his grandmother and his Uncle kept pressuring him.
Jenny Barnett, a baker’s daughter, made some of the finest pastries around–all she really wanted in her life was to get a job in one of the ton’s homes as a pastry chef.
One day as Jenny was walking home from a friends house it started to rain–heavily. The Duke happened upon her and took her back to his home to dry off. He was a complete gentleman-even giving her a dress to wear-then allowing her to keep it.
Meanwhile Grandmother decided that they would give a ball–and Thomas hired Jenny to make the pastries. It was not to be–Jenny’s sister had broken her ankle and Jenny was needed at the family bakery.
His uncle–well–let’s just say he was a scoundrel of the worst sort-but I’ll let you read all about that and just why he was so intent on the Duke marrying a rich woman!!
All will be revealed–just know that this is a very happily after!!
This is a clean simple story of a duke falling for the village pastry baker. There was very little romance and dialogue between the two. I found more romance between the baker and another suitor than with the duke. Then the villain of the piece seemed out of place. It felt like it was thrown in as filler for the dramatic piece. But that it not as exciting as it sounds. I found more excitement between a father who wanted his daughter to marry the duke but she was in love with his best friend and the duke and her were as close as brother and sister. When the duke thought there was no future with the baker, he found another woman to court. At first, she seemed perfect for him. But when she, her mother and sister went to the country to visit him. She acted so differently. She insulted the duke’s grandmother, looked down on how the house was decorated along with other demeaning statements. It just did not flow naturally that one moment she was perfect and then she was not. I feel most of the emphasis of the story was on how the duke and his best friend were building a racehorse stud farm. Now that I found interesting. This is slow paced, drawn out, not much of a story on the duke and the pastry baker. I did enjoy reading the extended epilogue that jumped a few years later. I did not find this book appealing, but others may enjoy it.
While I enjoyed the dynamics and storyline, this book made me angry at some of the characters. Their actions were not gentlemanly or even understandable. Caused hardship suffering and sadness to family and others. I guess the upper class can be forgiven for actions that the lower glass would be in prison or worse. As a gentleman, a man would never allow his affections that he had no plans to follow through with, to give hope and then brutally accost and straighten out the woman’s misunderstanding. I don’t believe that casts were available to a country or city doctor until 1930’s and breaks were bound with wood and cloth? Otherwise, I enjoyed this book for the cast of characters, several plots, and interactions. But Darn if Thomas and Wilcox didn’t turn me off.