His Unlikely Duchess

Good book. American Lily is the oldest daughter of a self-made millionaire and his Southern Belle wife. Mrs. Wilkins is quite ambitious, and when she receives an invitation from a school friend to bring her daughters to England for the Season, she can’t resist. She immediately sees her girls finding husbands with titles, cementing her reputation at home.

I liked Lily. She prefers spending time with her books instead of the social whirl, but she doesn’t rebel against her mother’s plans. She knows that if she makes a good marriage, it will help her two younger sisters. She wants to find love but draws only those men more interested in her fortune than herself. I ached for Lily because she feels like an outsider in the London ballrooms, mocked as the daughter of the “Coal King” and looked down on because of her “trade” background.

I liked Aidan also. As the second son, he never expected to inherit the title. He spent the last several years traveling the world, having adventures from Egypt to South America to the American West. But when his brother died, Aidan returned home to take up duties he felt unprepared for and a nearly bankrupt estate. The only way out is to marry a woman with a large dowry, something Aidan is reluctant to do.

I loved the first meeting between Lily and Aidan. She’s hiding behind the plants at the edge of the ballroom, avoiding her mother’s attempts at matchmaking when another reluctant attendee joins her. They chat for a few minutes, exchanging only first names. I liked the immediate connection between them and how easily they talked together. When Aidan asks her to dance, she agrees, and they enjoy their waltz together. Lily’s ease disappears when Aidan is revealed as the Duke of Lennox, and her mother gets that look in her eye.

I enjoyed watching the development of the relationship between Lily and Aidan. When together, they find they have much in common, can talk of almost anything, and soon find themselves dreaming of a future together. But when they are apart, their insecurities take over, casting doubt on whether they could make the other happy. When Lily and her family visit Aidan’s home, their emotions go through multiple ups and downs. As Lily sees everything that a duchess must know and do, she doubts her ability to measure up to the current duchess. When Aidan looks around his crumbling estate, he feels guilty about having so little to offer her. There are some sweet scenes of Aidan and Lily together, from riding to rowing to exploring his home. The long history of his family fascinates her, and he sees it anew through her eyes. Her warm heart and ease with people draw him closer when they visit one of the families on his estate.

The more time they spend together, the deeper their feelings for each other grow, but both are wary of saying anything. Lily can’t tell if Aidan truly cares for her or if he’s making the best of things to get the money he needs for the estate. Aidan keeps quiet because he doesn’t feel worthy of her. I had high hopes during their time in Brighton. With no one around to tell them otherwise, they could be themselves, and their happiness leaped off the pages. But on their return home, outside pressures once again threw obstacles in their path. The ending had me glued to the pages as Aidan’s past nearly ruined his future with Lily. The situation forced them to face their fears and risk sharing the truth of their feelings. Aidan’s emotional plea was just what Lily needed to share her own feelings. The epilogue was terrific.

I can’t wait to read her sisters’ stories, though we get a look at Rose’s future at the end of this one.

His Unlikely Duchess: A Victorian Historical Romance
Dollar Duchesses Series #1
Amanda McCabe
https://www.facebook.com/amandamccabebooks/
Release Date 01/01/2021
Publisher Harlequin Historical / Mills&Boon Historical

Money can buy her marriage

But will it lead to love?Miss Lily Wilkins hopes her American money will compensate for her lack of etiquette, as she needs a prestigious marriage to save her sisters’ prospects. Raised to believe wealth was her greatest attribute, she’s stunned when her unconventional ways catch the eye of the notorious Duke of Lennox. He’s far from the safe, sensible match she’d planned on—but Lily might just discover he’s the one she needs!

From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past.

Dollar Duchesses Money for Marriage into London Society

Will they find together an escape of the strain of life…

She is a romantic in the soul, escaping life’s burden in books. So when her family receives an invitation to visit England and its London’s ballrooms, she believes she will set foot in the fairyland of her stories.
Now known as a “dollar princess”, she graces the ballroom’s floors the least possible, just enough to not rise her mother’s ire. I believed she was breed and raised to be her mother’s mean to success, molded from a very young age to obey, she never rebels, preferring to stay quiet than to draw attention or fight for herself. My 21st century self thought her to be a doormat, when she was just a quiet girl, not keen to cause a stir.
But this story is much more complex in its simplicity than I first believed.

When Lily sets foot on England soil, she enters the mercenary and predatory marriage mart, where each participant is seen as competition. The tranquil young woman will have to navigate the murky waters of the London’s ton, where it is difficult to determine who is friend or foe.

Lily of course wants more from life but does little to orient her existence the right way, she does not know how, more prone to follow the flow than going against it. So instead to find her own way, she settles for what she believes will be the best path for her sisters. Why despite her doubts and fears, she follows the road set for her.
Why she is from their first encounter drawn to Aidan, he lived the life she is dreaming to.

He never thought he would become the Duke, it was his brother’s duty, not his. Now he must steps in his shoes and he feels quite lost.
After a so long time away, he too feels like a fish out of water. And while Lily’s is the answer to his every queries, he feels accomplice of the society’s he is not fond of by dragging her in.
He wandered the world seeking something else but was unable to feed completely his thirst, always needing more but what…
While attracted to her, he feels guilty to having very few to offer, disgusted to sell his title but also afraid she would refuse him or ask for more from him.
Lily is such a breath of fresh air, she does not lie, she is whom she appears why the sharks turn around her.

They are both lost people, thrown on a path they never expected, kind and caring but also persons of few words, why they doubt the depth of their relationship, afraid of the future, scared to disappoint the other, to not be enough.

This is a much more complex story than the courting tale I thought I was getting, in between the page, we get a glimpse of Lily’s siblings and mother’s life. Stella did not become this society’s matron all for show instantly, she had once been a young woman in love with her own hopes, but something changed her, what has become of her young love to change to a woman who loves her dreams through her daughters success. I am curious about Violet now, she is such a feisty young miss.
5 stars

onscreen detailed lovemaking scene.

I have been granted an advance copy by the author and Rachel’s Random Resources. Here is my true and unbiased opinion.

https://www.facebook.com/429830134272830/posts/787341105188396/?d=n

Lily Wilkins is a ‘dollar princess’, a daughter of a wealthy American known as the Coal King, brought to London by her mother in order to, hopefully, marry a title and increase the family’s prestige. Quiet and not at all outgoing, Lily meets a man named Aidan at the first ball she attends who is utterly charming… and a duke with a crumbling castle, in desperate need of an heiress bride.

It all seems inevitable, and so very predictable… and it is, rather, though things don’t run entirely smooth with Aidan’s own sense of pride troubling him as he knows he can’t provide for Lily, can’t keep her in the manner to which she is accustomed without her father’s money. There’s also the matter of a jealous ex lurking in the wings, as well as his judgemental mother and the entire upper echelon of the British aristocracy sneering behind their hands at Lily and her ‘new money’.

This is a pretty low-stakes romance, and there’s not a great deal of drama, though there is a lot of introspection from both the main characters. I liked both Aidan and Lily but it was hard to get particularly invested in their love story. It all felt a bit slow and the same scene seemed to get rehashed several times with Aidan’s ex until it was finally resolved. If you’re in the mood for a low-angst romance it’ll fit the bill nicely, though. I’ll give it four stars.

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via Rachel’s Random Resources.

When Stella Wilkins gets an invitation to come to England and introduce her daughters to society, nothing will stop her from finding titled husbands for her girls. American heiress Lily Wilkins never aspired to marry a duke, but her mother takes them to England for the season and she meets newly returned Aidan, the Duke of Lennox, she is immediately smitten.

Aidan left England after having his heart bruised by a girl he hoped to marry, but who favored his brother’s title. He spent years exploring the world and after his brother’s untimely death, is finally back to assume his responsibilities to the dukedom. But with a changing world and empty coffers, Aidan will need to marry an heiress to fulfill his obligations and Lily Wilkins is perfect. She is lovely, kind, and smart, but is it fair to marry her and saddle her with a crumbling estate?

Together Lily and Aidan will have much to learn about each other and their new responsibilities before they can claim their HEA, but will their budding attraction blossom into love or will insecurities, doubts and specters from the past nip their budding attraction or will love to find a way to blossom?

This was a well written, slow-paced love story with wonderful characters. The romance is definitely understated with very mild love scenes. The story is not overly dramatic or angsty – but there is a lack of communication, as well as insecurities, jealousy, and doubt that keep our lovers from finding a quick HEA. I did enjoy the book and would happily recommend it!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. *