THE DUKE'S DISASTER by the lovely Grace Burrowes appears
to
be a standalone Regency romance, although with a
brother-in-law and a twin brother, I can see the potential
for this to develop into a series! As with so many
Burrowes
books, the heroine has some significant anguish and
heartbreak in her life that initially prevent the two from
finding happiness. While they could have much more easily
reached their Happily Ever After if they'd simply talked
to
each other earlier and more openly, this tender romance
does
finally show the couple's happy accord with one another,
leaving me to sigh gustily as I turned the last page.
Noah Winters, Duke of Anselm, is pragmatically searching
for
a wife. He proposes to the enchanting Marliss Hallowell,
but she turns him down to marry another. Instead of
looking
around for a similar well set up debutant, he inexplicably
and promptly proposes to Miss Hallowell's companion, Lady
Araminthea Collins. Thea has been a companion for years
after the early death of her father the earl, while her
younger wastrel brother lolls around drunkenly gambling
and
her little sister Nonie is in need of launching in
society.
I had a hard time buying in to the concept that Noah
would
propose to a companion rather than looking for another
chit
to marry, even if she is the daughter of an earl- this
feels
disingenuous. Thea accepts his proposal in order to
escape
being continued predations by young noblemen, and also to
obtain Noah's promised monetary settlement on her sister
Nonie. Noah is a charming, if not very exciting, duke who
tries hard to do the right thing. And I do enjoy Thea's
ability to stand up for herself and make the best of
difficult situations.
There is a big misunderstanding between Noah and Thea that
awkwardly occurs on the wedding night, and details about
the
backstory come out in drips and drabs, continuing the
tension and suspense all the way until the end of the
tale.
The couple are determined to have a civil marriage,
however, and their growing closeness as they try to find a
way to rub along together leads to a sweet and slow-
blooming
love that will satisfy the romance reader. There is a
lovely warmth and realness to the characters that makes me
invested in their marital success. Burrowes again
presents
us with a couple worth falling in love with in The Duke's
Disaster.
Noah Winters, Duke of Anselm, exercises the pragmatism for
which he's infamous when his preferred choice of bride
cries
off, and her companion, Lady Thea Collins, becomes his
next
choice for his duchess. Lady Thea's mature, sensible and
even rather attractive-what could possibly go wrong?
As a lady fallen on hard times, Thea doesn't expect tender
sentiments from His Grace, but she does wish Noah had
courted her trust, lest her past turn their hastily
arranged
marriage into a life of shared regrets. Is His Grace
courting a convenient wife, or a beautiful disaster?
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