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A review by megatza
Not the Duke's Darling by Elizabeth Hoyt
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Not the Duke's Darling definitely falls into a series setup pitfall. The first third is so full of new characters and familial ties and backstory that I was often confused at POV switches. That said, once I got past the initial confusion, I really loved the romance and, obviously, Hoyt's signature heat.
Hoyt tends to feel like a bridge for me between old school and newer historical romances, and one thing I loved (having read most of her backlist) is that she's inventing new ways in this series for her characters to be relatable to readers now without losing historical integrity. Having the Wise Women and witches in Scotland as a means for giving Freya the language to express her need for independence works really well. And, as is often the case, we do have an excellent kidnapping.
While the book is quite hot, there's a little bit of forced chemistry for me between Christopher and Freya, making our Duke a little less ducal than some of Hoyt's heroes. He's probably the most insightful Hoyt hero I've read though, and I appreciate that too.
Hoyt tends to feel like a bridge for me between old school and newer historical romances, and one thing I loved (having read most of her backlist) is that she's inventing new ways in this series for her characters to be relatable to readers now without losing historical integrity. Having the Wise Women and witches in Scotland as a means for giving Freya the language to express her need for independence works really well. And, as is often the case, we do have an excellent kidnapping.
While the book is quite hot, there's a little bit of forced chemistry for me between Christopher and Freya, making our Duke a little less ducal than some of Hoyt's heroes. He's probably the most insightful Hoyt hero I've read though, and I appreciate that too.