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A review by happily_after_heas
One Season with the Duke by Addy Du Lac
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I believe this is Addy's debut and what a debut it is. And while it's not what I thought it was going to be--a road trip romance--it's still a wonderful historical romance. Henrietta, "Hettie," is a woman who belongs nowhere, it feels. A mixed race woman in the ton, whose parents died when she young, knows she is loved but doesn't feel she completely belongs anywhere, to anyone--especially when a cousin on her mother's side blackmails her into marriage. Along comes Finn, a Scottish Duke and English peer, who has loved Hattie since they were young adults, unbeknownst to her. When he discovers she is being blackmailed, he offers her a way out but doesn't ask WHY she's being blackmailed. Instead he jumps on the opportunity to finally make her, his. He truly adores this woman for who she is.
I really liked this book. There is a good bit of steam and mild spice well before the 50% mark. The two characters have great chemistry both in and out of the bedroom. Their knowledge of each other and relationship in their youth provides the personal history to make their "falling" believable. Hettie really wants to be the best wife she can be for Finn. And Finn wants to save his estate AND have his wife fall as in love with him as he is her.
There is a "third act breakup" but a reader should be expecting it as Hettie's secret is revealed. I found the revelation and reaction to this to be incredibly believable, natural and realistic. It was not overly dramatic nor did it feel immature. You could feel the pain and angst of the two characters during this time.
At times I felt Hettie's "I'll just ignore this problem and it will go away" annoyed me. But the scope of the problem and her view of the ramifications were quite large and I understand why she chose to ignore it. However, Finn showed his worth time and again through his actions and words--he even has a sweet nickname for her--so when Hettie chooses not to trust him, at times I couldn't understand why. EXCEPT for his mother. His mother is a horrible shrew when she meets Hettie. I don't know if I ever understood her reasons for her dislike of Hettie and kept waiting for the "real reason" to pop up but her reasoning was her own and in her mind made sense. This is a romance and all the conflict is tied up nicely including that with The Dowager, Lady Aofie.
I would highly recommend this to all lovers of historical romance, cinnamon roll heroes, strong heroines, color blind love, he falls first, and meaningful nicknames.
I really liked this book. There is a good bit of steam and mild spice well before the 50% mark. The two characters have great chemistry both in and out of the bedroom. Their knowledge of each other and relationship in their youth provides the personal history to make their "falling" believable. Hettie really wants to be the best wife she can be for Finn. And Finn wants to save his estate AND have his wife fall as in love with him as he is her.
There is a "third act breakup" but a reader should be expecting it as Hettie's secret is revealed. I found the revelation and reaction to this to be incredibly believable, natural and realistic. It was not overly dramatic nor did it feel immature. You could feel the pain and angst of the two characters during this time.
At times I felt Hettie's "I'll just ignore this problem and it will go away" annoyed me. But the scope of the problem and her view of the ramifications were quite large and I understand why she chose to ignore it. However, Finn showed his worth time and again through his actions and words--he even has a sweet nickname for her--so when Hettie chooses not to trust him, at times I couldn't understand why. EXCEPT for his mother. His mother is a horrible shrew when she meets Hettie. I don't know if I ever understood her reasons for her dislike of Hettie and kept waiting for the "real reason" to pop up but her reasoning was her own and in her mind made sense. This is a romance and all the conflict is tied up nicely including that with The Dowager, Lady Aofie.
I would highly recommend this to all lovers of historical romance, cinnamon roll heroes, strong heroines, color blind love, he falls first, and meaningful nicknames.