"Intriguing Story and Characters."
Reviewed by Susan Gorman
Posted October 1, 2014
Romance Historical
The main storyline of Madeline Hunter's THE ACCIDENTAL
DUCHESS is a twist on the familiar blackmail premise. How
the story unfolds,the techniques the author uses to reveal
the secondary plot and the romance between the hero and
the
heroine held my interest.
Our heroine, Lady Lydia receives
a letter from an acquaintance Algernon Trilby which hints
both of scandal and blackmail. At Trilby's request, Lydia
travels to a gaming hall to meet him. She learns that
Trilby has a manuscript that she wrote a few years ago. He
shows her a page from the manuscript which contains a
detailed record of the coming and goings of the naval
fleet in Portsmouth during the war with France. Trilby
accuses her of treason and demands 10,000 pounds for his
silence. Lydia and Trilby's conversation is interrupted by
the Duke of Penthurst.
The character of Lady Lydia intrigued me. Madeline Hunter
has crafted a heroine who is naive, headstrong and
independent. Lady Lydia is a complicated character who
considers herself too old to be married and excels at
gambling. Through the conversations which take place in
the
first few chapters, between Lady Rosalyn and her nephew
the
Duke of Penthurst, Clayton Galbraith, the reader learns a
bit more about Lydia and how she is viewed by society.
Penthurst is a friend of Lydia's family and has few of
his
own secrets. He's a great hero: honest, loyal and very
judgmental-- a typical Duke! I loved the conversations
between the Duke and his aunt and between the Duke and
Lydia. At first it seemed that the Duke and Lydia were
indifferent towards each other. What was Lydia's problem
with Penthurst? What was it about him that she didn't
like? And how did he always know when Lydia needed
rescuing? I read the last 100 or so pages of THE ACCIDENTAL DUCHESS
in one
sitting. Loved that Hunter took her time developing
Penthurst and Lydia's attraction towards each other. They
argued, they disagreed and they sizzled! It was believable
and rewarding to this reader. The pieces of the puzzle
began to fall into place when Lydia traveled to Hampshire
by herself. I wasn't sure what she would discover at the
cottage but I was glad Penthurst loved and trusted her
enough to let her go. It made the ending of THE ACCIDENTAL
DUCHESS very
satisfying.
I reread the last chapter of the novel as I was
writing this review. Just loved it and I could hear the
humor and teasing tone in Penthurst's voice as he read
pieces of the Lydia's novel which was written two years
ago
to her . I could also imagine her reaction especially
when
he read the description of Lydia's hero Beaumont.Lydia's
words depicted someone else--the man reading the story to
her, not its hero! A perfect ending! Madeline Hunter's novel THE ACCIDENTAL DUCHESS is the
fourth and final book in the Fairbourne Quartet. It
can be
read as a stand alone novel although it wraps up events
from the prior novels in the series. This is the first
book
that I have read by Madeline Hunter and I did not have a
problem
following or enjoying the story. I plan to buy the rest of
the series!
SUMMARY
From New York Times bestselling author Madeline Hunter comes
this seductive tale of a headstrong young lady, a scandalous
manuscript, and the iron-willed duke determined to save her
from her ruin. For fans of Mary Balogh, Eloisa James, and
Julia Quinn. When Lady Lydia Alfreton is blackmailed over the shocking
contents of a manuscript she once wrote, she must go to the
most desperate of measures to raise the money to buy back
the ill-considered prose: agreeing to an old wager posed by
the arrogant, dangerous Duke of Penthurst. At least
Penthurst is a man she wouldn’t mind fleecing—and she’s
confident she’ll win. Penthurst long ago concluded Lydia was a woman in search of
ruinous adventure, but even he is surprised when she arrives
at his house ready to bet her innocence against his ten
thousand pounds—a wager he only proposed to warn her off
gambling. When she loses to a simple draw of the cards, Lydia is
shocked. Now, her problems are twofold: a blackmailer
determined to see her pay and a duke determined to tame her
rebellious ways. One misstep and Lydia could find herself
ruined—or bound to the seductive man who would make her his
duchess.
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