THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS is an odd book. It's kind of an
inspirational, kind of a suspense, and definitely a
historical. If you're someone who likes Edwardian era
United Kingdom (this one primarily takes place in
England), then you may like it. Edwardian era is
Downton Abbey-esque, by the way, and concerns a
duke, so propriety is the name of the game. This one
happens to be a quasi-Pentecostal Christian, but he's
still a duke—the Duke of Nottingham, to be precise.
I'm getting a touch ahead of myself. Rowena, our heroine,
is essentially petrified by fear and only shows agency or
emotion when she fears her control is being taken from
her. Her father, a Scottish lord, rules his land and his
people with an iron fist and is known for being a bit of
a curmudgeon. However, when the choice is presented to
him to scheme to get his daughter matched outside of the
clan for her own safety, he goes swiftly along with it.
Rowena is thus thrust into the world of the duchy, with
no desire to be there and limited belief her husband will
ever love her. He receives a word from God to marry her,
which is enough for him to go on, and they set off on
their happily ever after. The plot is largely driven by a
mystery regarding the Nottingham family jewels and
locating them in some manner. There's some nefariousness
with another family who wants the jewels.
The inspirational-ness of it all isn't overwhelming, but
if you're someone not used to the mindset of God speaking
to people or them feeling like God speaks to them
directly, most of the action of this book is going to
seem weird. If you're in the bag for that, you may still
have some questions as this intense relationship with God
only seems to come up at certain times.
THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS just didn't work for me. I think this
tale would work for the overlap of people who both like
reading about evangelical Christians and who enjoy the
exploits of the Crowley family.
A Riveting Edwardian Series Set among Britain's High Society
Lady Rowena Kinnaird may be the heiress to a Highland earldom, but she has never felt good enough--not for her father, not for the man she thought she'd marry, not for God. But after a shocking attack, she's willing to be forever an outcast if it means escaping Loch Morar.
Brice Myerston, the Duke of Nottingham, has found himself in possession of a rare treasure his enemies are prepared to kill for. While Brice has never been one to shy away from manor-born ladies, the last thing he needs is the distraction of Lady Rowena, who finds herself in a desperate situation. But when Rowena's father tries to trap Brice into marrying his daughter, Brice makes a surprising decision.
Rowena wanted to escape the Highlands, but she's reluctant to marry a notorious flirt. And when she learns that Brice is mixed up in questionable business with a stolen treasure, she fears she's about to end up directly in the path of everything she was trying to avoid.
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