Series: Taming of the Dukes #3 (Standalone)
Publication Date: 24th Sep 2024
Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)
3.7 Stars
One Liner: Entertaining but a bit OTT
Lady Evangeline Raine prefers animals to humans, especially the little ones she rescues and cares for in her animal shelter. Her young sister, Viola, wants nothing more than a season in London and marriage. However, the season will happen if Effie (Evangeline) is also willing to attend.
Duke of Vale, Gage Croft, was happy being a Highlander until his brother’s death made him the duke and dumped a ton load of debts on his head. He needs to settle a debt and agrees to charm Evangeline to bring her to London. However, he soon realizes that the bargain could be costly indeed!
Can Effie and Gage find what they want, or will the secrets tear them apart?
The story comes in Effie and Gage’s third-person POVs.
My Thoughts:
The book starts with a short content warning note by the author, mentioning the possible triggers (and their intensity) in the story.
Right away, we are thrown into the drama around the main characters. Reading the previous book (Never Met a Duke Like You), made it easy to follow the FMC’s character arc. This should still work as a standalone read (the others make an appearance a few times). However, I did find all that talk a bit preachy. We know what the issues are, right? No need to repeat them so often.
The MMC is quite easy to like even if some of his decisions are bad. But that’s necessary for the plot to progress, so can’t say much.
This is a steamy romance (4.5ish), and there are a lot of sexual innuendos throughout the book. This may not suit everyone. I didn’t mind most of it. The writing style was fun (when not preaching, so it suited the tone).
There’s a teeny mystery as well, though it is never the main focus. Acts like seasoning and helps bring things together in the climax.
And yes, we have a third-act breakup. I knew it would happen very early in the plot (almost after the first chapter). Being prepared helps, folks!
We have an epilogue (yay!) that not only gives us HEA but also hints at the next book. I am waiting for that, though I suspect the spice will be all-time high, based on what we know about the characters.
Effie’s sister isn’t easy to like, but she manages to get to the right side and show decent growth. I like that there’s no drastic change, but shows a sign of improvement. I do wish to get to know William a little more. A nice guy!
The pacing dips in the middle but picks up again in the last quarter. It didn’t really drag or feel boring. However, some scenes are a bit OTT and take to liberty, given the historical setting. While I no longer expect proper historical romances, this one could have toned it down a little.
The author’s note is detailed and informative, providing a glimpse into her research, which supports her plotline and character arcs.
To summarize, The Worst Duke in London is a fun read with a high dose of spice and many contemporary sensibilities. Read it if you want something light and fluffy.
Thank you, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for eARC.
#NetGalley #TheWorstDukeInLondon
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