When ALONG CAME A DUKE begins, orphaned Tabitha Timmons
lives with and serves her aunt and uncle. As much as she
detests being treated as a servant, she's too proud
to accept her friends' offers of help. When an unexpected
inheritance comes her way, she sees it as a means of escape
even though it involves marrying a man selected for her by
her late uncle.
What Tabitha doesn't count on is falling in love with a
completely unsuitable man. When she meets Preston, she
thinks
he is "Mr. Preston," an irresponsible rake. Finding out
that he's the Duke of Preston doesn't change her opinion.
Having a long conversation over a scandalously private
dinner with him, however, does. Even so, she must make the
best of her inheritance, or spend the rest of her life
living in poverty and working as a maid.
The scenes between Tabitha and Preston are electric.
Elizabeth Boyle writes terrific dialogue, both spoken and
inner,
that really spark. I wanted those two to get together, and
for the most part, the obstacles keeping them apart rang
true. Their future remains uncertain until the last few
pages.
I found parts of the story very frustrating. Boyle skips
Tabitha's first meeting with the relatives she's staying
with in London. She never, that we see, asks anyone about
this mysterious stranger she's supposed to marry -- and she
doesn't meet him for at least two weeks after she arrives in
Town, even though they're expected to marry by her
fast-approaching 25th birthday. She never asks to see the
will or hear it read. Even if she doesn't get anywhere, I
want her to ask the questions.
The dynamic relationship between Tabitha and Preston make up
for those shortcomings. Like the happy couple themselves,
every time they are apart, I can't wait for them to run
into each other again. They have the chemistry to make
ALONG CAME A DUKE
an engaging and satisfying Cinderella story.
“A young lady with a fortune is subject to all sorts of untoward attentions by the worst sort of vagrants.” Aunt Allegra A lesson Tabitha Timmons, a penniless spinster, has never needed to heed. That is, until she is left a vast fortune payable only upon her marriage to the very respectable Mr. Barkworth—a match that offers little chance of discovering exactly what her aunt means by "untoward attentions." But the same can't be said when the Duke of Preston happens along Tabitha's path. He spies a rebellious streak in her that matches his own and he makes it his mission to save her from such a passionless match, interfering in her life at every turn. All too soon, Preston—whose very name spells ruin—has Tabitha caught between the good fortune that guarantees her security, and his kiss, which promises an entirely different kind of happily-ever-after.
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