In 1890, three young ladies from a Holstein principality
arrive in the Duke of Olympia's Park Lane townhouse.
They're princesses and he is their uncle, and they have led
quite eventful lives. Several of their family have died
unexpectedly and concern for their health has led them to
come to England, where they assume disguises in order that
no accidents will befall them. So begins a humorous tale
of women dressed as men, Princess Emilie becoming a tutor
of Latin in Yorkshire, to the Duke of Ashland's son
Freddie.
HOW TO TAME YOUR DUKE is not Emilie's intention; she wants
to get her sisters back and lead her own life. But she's
obliged to masquerade as a studious, bearded young man who
occasionally plays chess with the Duke of Ashland, whose
wife left him many years ago. Then while meeting a contact
for news, she inadvertently ends up in a different role
altogether - reading to the Duke in an inn bedroom while
she's naked and masked. The Duke has lost a hand in combat
in Afghanistan and between that and the fact that he is
still married, he has put off taking a lover. He may have
foibles, but he pays well and keeps his hand off the ladies
sent to him. Against her initial resolve Emilie finds
herself doing this more than once....
As romance develops so do twists and turns, with the Duke
in for a surprise when he seeks out his absent wife and
Freddie spotting the truth about his tutor but thinking it
a great game. I enjoyed the lively characters, especially
Freddie, a lonely, good-natured young man. This is an
adult romance so we get to see how a French letter had to
be tied on with strings, and some passages are very
reminiscent of erotic books of the time, such as The
Romance of Lust and Fanny Hill. Politics of the day
also rear their head, with the anarchist movement
determined to remove the many heads of the small states
which existed before the unification of Germany and Italy.
One such assassination did in fact trigger the First World
War, and Bismarck who became Germany's leader at that time
is mentioned. Relations are still friendly at the stage of
this book and the English nobility have much in common with
their European counterparts. Juliana Grey has thought
carefully about the period and how the changing times
affected people's behaviour. HOW TO TAME YOUR DUKE is an
interesting, funny and engaging read.
England, 1888. Quiet and scholarly Princess Emilie has
always avoided adventure, until she's forced to disguise
herself as a tutor in the household of the imposing Duke of
Ashland, a former soldier disfigured in battle and
abandoned by his wife. When chance draws her into a secret
liaison with the duke, Emilie can't resist the opportunity
to learn what lies behind his forbidding mask, and find out
what adventure really means...
The duke never imagines that his son's tutor and his
mysterious golden–haired beauty are one and the same.
But when the true identity of his lover is laid bare,
Ashland must face the demons in his past in order to
safeguard both his lady—and his heart.
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