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kateca's review against another edition
2.5
Pretty good characters let down by a lackluster and saccharine ending
fdarlene491's review against another edition
3.0
I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance reader copy of this story.
The Devil's own Duke is book two in the Wallflowers vs. Rogues series. It is of course also a stand alone book. I had an interesting time reading book one, Love is a Rogue, and was wondering how the other ladies stories would fare. I'm sad to say that the two main characters were duds. The hero's best friend and business partner, Jax, has possibilities. Hettie and Ash never resonated with me, I just couldn't make myself like them. Ash is not a nice person and his reformation was a huge stretch in a short time. The con he was running could have turned out so much worse & he never thought or cared as long as he got his way. Hettie is hard to describe, mostly she's too modern. Her ditzy father leaves her to run his estate & she's making sparkling wine, which is American champagne. The vineyard and the wine process and terms were as I've read & gotten from several local vineyards. There're a lot of modern phrases too, like it's 5 o'clock somewhere in the world. I'm not sure who's story is next but we've got plenty of ladies who need a husband.
#LenoraBell #TheDevil'sOwnDuke #Wallflowersvs.Rogues #historicalromance #romance #series
The Devil's own Duke is book two in the Wallflowers vs. Rogues series. It is of course also a stand alone book. I had an interesting time reading book one, Love is a Rogue, and was wondering how the other ladies stories would fare. I'm sad to say that the two main characters were duds. The hero's best friend and business partner, Jax, has possibilities. Hettie and Ash never resonated with me, I just couldn't make myself like them. Ash is not a nice person and his reformation was a huge stretch in a short time. The con he was running could have turned out so much worse & he never thought or cared as long as he got his way. Hettie is hard to describe, mostly she's too modern. Her ditzy father leaves her to run his estate & she's making sparkling wine, which is American champagne. The vineyard and the wine process and terms were as I've read & gotten from several local vineyards. There're a lot of modern phrases too, like it's 5 o'clock somewhere in the world. I'm not sure who's story is next but we've got plenty of ladies who need a husband.
#LenoraBell #TheDevil'sOwnDuke #Wallflowersvs.Rogues #historicalromance #romance #series
katiegreen's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
sarahsthoughtsonbooks's review against another edition
I remember really enjoying this novel when I initially read this novel as soon as I was approved for the ARC. All fired up with the down with the patriarchy bit - especially since Hetty (1) couldn't inherit the property and (2) the other vintners didn't think she could make wine, let alone a good sparkling wine in England. Add in the lost heir making for a perfect marriage of convenience story.
Yet recently re-reading it, I was not so much of a fan. It's unclear if it was because of the format - I was listening to it via audio. The narrator seemed to take a bit of the life out of Hetty, and what I loved in the initial read seemed a bit contrived to take advantage of current events and feelings. It could have been a bit of both.
Overall, I still enjoyed this novel, and look forward to getting back into Lenora Bell, and finding the remaining books in this series to read.
Yet recently re-reading it, I was not so much of a fan. It's unclear if it was because of the format - I was listening to it via audio. The narrator seemed to take a bit of the life out of Hetty, and what I loved in the initial read seemed a bit contrived to take advantage of current events and feelings. It could have been a bit of both.
Overall, I still enjoyed this novel, and look forward to getting back into Lenora Bell, and finding the remaining books in this series to read.
tippyloohoo's review against another edition
4.0
This book was so much better than the first in the series. I thought the characters were better developed and I cared about them more. Also, I found the romance better written.
k_tiches's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
While Lenora Bell’s books appeal to me for their prose and character relationships, this one fell a bit flat. It was a quick entertaining read, but the development of the relationship felt at times extremely drawn out and at others hurried and rushed. The flow just didn’t work for me, though I really loved Hetty’s voice.
luckyvjn's review against another edition
1.0
Anachronistic. Better to think of it as regency-esque AU. Even so, it’s cheesy and chock-full of clichés. Also, what happened to poor Toby?