After his fiancée elopes with a footman, Andrew Macalister, the brooding Duke of Bradstone, is hesitant to trust any woman ever again. It is only fitting that the woman to melt his heart is Lady Clara Masson, the social outcast twin sister of the woman who jilted him! When Clara’s life is threatened, Andrew does the only thing he can think of to protect her: proposes marriage. Despite having … Despite having been in love with Andrew since childhood, Clara only agrees to the engagement to buy herself more time to escape her brother’s murderous plans.
What begins as an engagement of convenience quickly turns to a passionate battle of wills between the stubborn duke and his distrusting fiancée.
With fate giving them a second chance at love, Andrew and Clara fight to trust in their love, and each other, before they are torn tragically apart.
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The Perfect Duchess by Erica Taylor is book Two in The Macalisters Series. This is the story of Andrew Macalister and Lady Clara Masson. I have read the previous book but feel this can be a standalone book.
Andrew and Clara knew each other since they were young and Andrew had been on track to marry her twin sister but that sister ended up walking away to marry the footman. Later her sister died along with her father leaving her under her awful brother’s control. Andrew and Clara reconnected with Clara slipped out to attend his Birthday ball. Andrews had always had feelings for Clara and goes forward to offer his name to keep her safe.
Really enjoyed reading their story.
2.5 rounded up
I liked the “idea” of this book, but it just didn’t really work for me in the end.
Lady Clara and Andrew Macalister, Duke of Bradstone have a history, once upon a time Andrew was friends with her brother Jonathan, Earl of Morton and he was engaged to her twin sister Christina. But when Christina jilts him and Clara is sent to the country to let the scandal die down, they lost touch. Now five years later, Clara is back – but she is no longer welcomed by the ton.
Rumors abound about her and she is barely tolerated, but that doesn’t stop Andrew from wanting her. When he rescues her from her brother’s rage, he informs her they will marry. Clara has no intention of marrying him, but goes along with the ruse.
These two will have a long, rough road ahead of them, they will endure rumors, scandal, evil relations, attempted murder, shocking revelations, kidnapping and their own doubts and insecurities before they finally achieve their HEA.
I thought the writing was good, but the story just had so many elements, too many in my opinion, and a lot of them just didn’t seem believable, I don’t want to ruin anything, but his reason for marrying her sister just didn’t seem reasonable and her brother’s shocking revelation at the end was just out of the blue and over the top. I wanted to like the book, but in the end, I felt dissatisfied.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher*
This is a lovely little romance about a young woman, Lady Clara, whose life isn’t as wonderful as all that. She lives with her ogre of a brother and isn’t invited many places as she has a slightly tarnished reputation, although not as a result of anything she has ACTUALLY done. Clara attends a huge party one evening, against her older brother’s wishes, and runs into the party’s host, Andrew, who is now a Duke, but as children, he was her friend.
This meeting turns into an evening that is filled with dancing, and banter, and simple pleasures. It also sets off a chain of events that involve intrigue, action, danger, and changes Clara’s future.
This is a terrific story, with a host of colorful well written characters who I do believe have future stories of their own. ( I certainly HOPE so!) The two main characters have longing and heat between them, and the HEA is sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend this book to romance readers who enjoy a bit of excitement with their romance.
I read this as an arc on Netgalley which affected my review in no way at all.
4.5 Stars
Andrew Macalister, the Duke of Bradstone, also known as the Stone duke for his demeanour hates his annual birthday ball tradition. He dislikes facing those around him who only see him for his title, and has given up on a chance to live a normal life. That is, until he spots Lady Clara Masson across the ballroom. Clara’s twin sister Christina is the woman who infamously jilted Andrew at the altar five years ago. When Clara’s life is threatened by her evil brother, Jonathan, Andrew must do the only thing he can think of to save her: propose marriage.
A lovely read of two people learning to trust & to be themselves. The characters are well portrayed Clara is lonely, rejected by society & feels unloved & distrustful of everyone, after all her own brother hates her but she’s loved Andrew since she was a young girl. Andrew was never meant to be the Duke, he was the second son but tragedy struck when highwaymen killed his father & older brother Sam. He feels everyone, apart from a few close friends & siblings, only see the Duke not the man. Little does Clara know, Andrew had been smitten with her since childhood, and he finds her presence a ray of sunshine in the dreary dukedom. He just needs her to learn to trust & she needs him to be just Andrew not the stony duke. The pace of the story is very good & there are twists & turns along the way. I’m pleased there are so many Macalisters & hope they all have their stories.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
What a start to this series, called the Macalisters a well written story with Andrew Macalister, the brooding Duke of Bradstone getting left at the alter by Lady Clara Masson’s sister. Clara needs Andrew’s help as her brother is not a nice man. There is suspense, drama, danger, jilted at the alter, twists, turns, and romance, I want to read the next book. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Loved the story. Erica Taylor is an amazing author. She keeps the reader involved throughout the whole story. The Duke of Bradstone (Andrew) was betrothed and he was jilted. He later meets up with his ex betrothes sister who he has known most of their lives. They help each out by having a marriage of convenience but fall in love instead.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Some Good Elements, But Chunks of Info Missing for Too Long
This is the start of an extended series about the large Macalister Clan. This story starts at the top of the family food chain, with the eldest brother—the current duke and our hero. We meet the hero and heroine as they get reacquainted at a ball; they had known each other well as children, and he had been engaged to her sister. I thought the author didn’t quite give the backstory the right way. While I am certainly not a fan of information dumps, I do think the backstory does need to be meted out in a logical fashion to prevent reader confusion. I did find myself confused at certain points of the story because I felt like I did not have the right amount of backstory. That drives me a little crazy in books. And in this book, quite an amount of backstory needs to be known: when the hero and heroine knew each other as youngsters as well as these two main characters’ complicated relationships with their siblings. In particular, the heroine’s brother acted so extreme that I was truly curious about why their relationship was that bad. Another thing that I thought was strange, and it is a small point as it was just only one scene, is everyone’s reactions to the hero’s dressing down of his two younger brothers after the stunt they pulled about a third of the way into the book. I thought he was justified before he explained the details to the heroine. Why were she and the rest of the Macalister siblings so upset about this? I thought the hero was completely appropriate here. And I honestly did not get why the heroine was so bent on finding another way out of her situation when in following the duke’s plan she would actually get what she has theoretically wanted for years. Yes, of course, it wouldn’t be in the best way, but she would still achieve what she had desired for so long. I did like the duke’s character, as he had worked so long trying to do everything right by his family and his position, even though he was thrust into his role at a relatively young age, a role he had never imagined having since he was the first spare.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
This is something of a second chance as well as an unrequited crush and maybe a somewhat friends to lovers romance with a good mystery thrown in for good measure. After I had read the description of the book I decided to take a chance on a new to me author and I am so glad that I did! This was a wonderful book! I have read two more of the books in the series and will be reviewing them also.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A perfect start to a new series.
The story starts with Clara having a run-in with a Lady Laura and Andrew decides to take control of the situation. She and Andrew had known each other all their life Clara’s sister had been engaged to him at one time. Left at the altar Andrew was a bit standoffish but he was not going to let his beautiful Clara be treated poorly. This story can show what rumor can do to a person, how cruel people can be, and how in turn they may have self-doubt about the future. I found the book entertaining and I enjoyed the characters of Andrew and Clara but I also enjoyed the mystery. Why yes there is more than just a romance between these pages. This book was a perfect start to a new series. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
The Perfect Duchess (The Macalisters Book 2) by Erica Taylor is an enjoyable and easily read historical romance story. There is danger and kidnapping, lies and deceit, blackmail and attempted murder, scandalous affairs and intrigue that made for an interesting journey. I am not usually a lover of historical romances but Erica has done a great job with this series and has managed to hold my interest. There are a lot of twists and turns that keep you on your toes and the story flows nicely.
Andrew has had a lot put on his shoulders at an early age. Unfortunately his character along with it but when Lady Clara once again appears in his life he slowly realises that he is allowed to have more. He doesn’t need to be what he thinks everyone expects.
Clara has been made the town gossip by someone who should love her but somehow despises her. If it weren’t for a certain Duke and his family she would be dead or a social outcast.
This is a charming romantic read that is a little scandalous and intriguing. I am excited to read more about the rest of the Macalister clan.
It was a good book. The second book I read in the series and this is not a normal series I would read but it was good. Kept me interested and wanting to see what happens. It was slow at some points which is why it only got four stars,but the author is so very talented. She has good eye for detail that will draw you into something even if you are hesitant. Good job! I can’t wait till the next book!
The Perfect Duchess (The Macalisters Book 2) By Erica Taylor. This book pulled me in from page one. This book has different draws for me from romance to mystery. Historical romance isn’t my favorite but I’ve grown to liking them from this author. The attention to details is great and the characters are complex and believable. There’s plenty of romance but it’s balanced well with action and mystery. It’s paced nicely never feeling rushed or lacking anything. Absolutely loved these characters storyline. There’s a few twists and turns that left me reading as fast as possible to see what happens next. I’m giving this book a five star review and highly recommend it to everyone.
5 Star
The Perfect Duchess ( 3 Macalisters Book 2 ) By Erica Taylor is a historical romance book that I had a hard time putting down once I started reading. There are a few twists and turns that had me turning the pages fast trying to figure out what happens next. I love the characters of Clara and Andrew. These two are very relatable and I just love them. What happens when her life is threatened Can he protect her? I highly recommend reading this Book and if you haven’t read the first book I’d recommend reading it as well. I can’t wait to read more from this Author.
The Perfect Duchess was a good 4 star read.
This is Andrew and Clara’s story.
We start out at Andrew’s birthday party where he sees Lady Clara, she has been the only one that has gotten his attention in the past few years. When he searches her out for a dance he finds her being insulted by one of his guests, so he quickly rescues her.
Lady Clara knew she was taking a chance by going to the party. People believe she was involved in her sister leaving Andrew at the altar. The insults that she took were terrible, but she held her own and gave it right back.
If they think they can chase me away, they are severely mistaken -Lady Clara
When Andrew starts to court Lady Clara, things get even more interesting. When Clara finds out that she is in danger from her own brother, Andrew offers her a solution. Will she take it?
All of the secondary characters were great. There are some twists and turns and secrets revealed. We do get a HEA but it was definitely not an easy journey. If you’re looking for a good historical read you will like this one. Erica Taylor does a great job of pulling you in with her writing.
The Perfect Duchess (The Macalisters #2) by Erica Taylor was an engaging, hooking historical fiction that keeps you flipping the pages.
Not my first read by this author, but in truth, the first book of this series actually takes place before this one. So in saying that, I highly suggest reading this book first, then go back and read book one. If I myself knew that these books were written out of chronological order, I would have done that; because the first book is full of spoilers for book one. So though I still enjoyed this story, I felt I knew it well before reading it.
Outside of this book taking place before the first, I very much adored this read. That opening scene was, for me, what dreams are made of. There’s just something about two people locking eyes across a crowded room that just makes me all mushy on the inside. From that moment I was hooked not only on this book, but this future couple. This book doesn’t just focus on the romance, there’s a spotlight on Andrew’s close relationship with his siblings, and the hunting dark tone around Clara’s brother and his disdain for her.
Told in dule POV we get inside both their heads, and that adds a little something extra, rounding out an already endearing story. So please take my super high recommendation and my stamp of approval, that you will fall hard for this unconventional romance, set in a time when social standards were everything. Things have to be handled with care, and the Duke has to be a bit cunning to get what he wants.
Happy Reading
-E.A. Walsh
The Perfect Duchess is the second book in the Macalisters series by Erica Taylor. With having read the first book in the series, I was excited to read this installment. Ms. Taylor has a great ability to intertwine stories but keep them separate in the same breath. This story is about Andrew and Claire and we learned about them in A Suitable Affair. I was excited because I really like the love story between Andrew and Claire. This story has romance, danger, drama, and suspense. The emotions in this book go up and down, twists and turns, happy and sad all in book. I was taken back several times and I had to go and read the section again because I wanted to know why I thought it was supposed to be in my mind’s eye and not the author’s eye.
The Perfect Duchess is book two in The Macalisters series by Erica Taylor. I love a good historical romance, as they don’t often tweak my curiosity. Thinking I had read all the good ones, they are not something I keep a lookout for. That has changed since discovering this author.
A different, an era of duchesses and dukes. The regal aristocracy at its finest. I love everything about this story. Everything is expressed in an exquisitely proper manner, a refreshing insight into an era that was more innocent and less tainted, and in my opinion, harsher and more uncertain. Breathtaking in its simplistic abandonment. Andrew and Clara were polar opposites, with chemistry that sizzled, doubt that pulsed and passion that erupted. 4 stars.
The Perfect Duchess by Erica Taylor is the second book in the Macalister’s series. This can be read as a standalone easily but some of the characters carry over from the first book. This story set in the Regency period and tells the story of Andrew Macalister and Lady Clara Masson. The two have a complicated past but have known each other since childhood. Lady Clara has been away from the social scene and comes back to horrible gossip while Andrew is recovering from her twin sister had stood him up at the altar in the past.
I like both characters but especially Clara. She has a great strength to her and she is determined to right the wrongs that have taken place. I also enjoy historical fiction and especially this period. The story is interesting and kept me reading to see what would happen to the characters. I look forward to book 3 in this series.
4 Stars
The Perfect Duchess is the second book in The Macalisters Series by Erica Taylor. As with the first book in the series, Ms. Taylor has created quite a clever and captivating story.
This is Andrew and Clara’s story- although I felt that this story should have been Book #1, and “A Suitable Affair’ as book #2. But that’s my personal preference, and it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story at all.
Having ‘met’ Andrew and Clara in the previous book, I was immediately intrigued by them, and even though some of their story was touched on, there was so much more that I wanted to know. And this book definitely gave me that in spades!
It has so much going on in it, with twists and turns that I definitely didn’t see coming. There was everything from romance, danger, murder, intrigue, passion, drama, suspense, emotion, frustration, erotic scenes, wonderfully complex characters, detailed and descriptive historical elements and scene setting, and clever interconnected threads.
I really enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it to anyone who likes historical romance with a clever storyline.
Thank you, Ms. Taylor!
The Perfect Duchess by Erica Taylor a four-star read that you will dance away with. This is the second novel in the Macalisters series and in my opinion, you can read them in any order, they do build on each other but don’t necessarily need an order. There is lots going on and lots that could drag you down as you read, but the author somehow manages to keep you from getting bogged down in the terrible things that have happened to the characters in the past and just loving the drama and passion of the current along with some amazingly described scenes.