Category: Tracy’s Reviews

The Worst Duke in the World by Lisa Berne

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Worst Duke in the World (The Penhallow Dynasty, #5)The Worst Duke in the World by Lisa Berne

Tracy’s rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: Penhallow Dynasty, #5

Release Date: January 12, 2021

When Jane Kent finds an old letter in a book, she has no idea how much her life is going to change. She travels to Surmont Hall to see Harriet Penhallow – the woman she believes to be her great-grandmother. Her reception at Surmont Hall is beyond her wildest dreams, the family accepts her immediately and for the first time in her life, Jane is pampered and spoiled. Old Mrs. Penhallow is ecstatic to have Jane living with her and sets out to give her the life she should have had, complete with a room of her own, a new wardrobe, and lessons with the local vicar. She is settling in and is introduced to several neighbors, including Anthony Farr, the Duke of Radcliffe. Jane has never met a duke and honestly, she is not impressed. But later when she meets his son Wakefield and visits the duke’s home – her feelings start to change and soon she is falling for him.

Anthony was born the spare to the dukedom and never thought he would inherit not only the title but his brother’s betrothed. His five-year marriage to Selina was a nightmare and the only good thing to come out of it was his son Wakefield. And despite his nasty sister Margaret’s non-stop attempts to find him a new bride, he has no plans to remarry and is content to spend his time in the country with his son, his studies, and his pig – Duchess. But then he meets Jane and for the first time in his life, he is falling in love – but as much as he enjoys Jane and her company, he holds firm to his vow to never remarry. However, when Jane leaves for a season in London he is miserable, and when he hears that she is a success and will probably marry one of the many men vying for her hand, will he finally admit his feelings and win her heart, or will it be too little, too late?

This was a quick read; it is light and fluffy and at times a bit silly. At first, I enjoyed the lightness of the book, but as the story went on, it began to annoy me. I liked Anthony and Jane and I have to agree with other reviews – they were both portrayed as very immature and almost juvenile in their interactions. I loved Wakefield and his “That’s what I said” line – truly, he was my favorite character in the book. I felt the book was going well, even with the ridiculous/annoying dialogue, until the end – then it was like the author just gave up and the last couple of chapters had a lot of narrative, but very little dialogue. I can’t say I really enjoyed the book, but I didn’t hate it, and if you are looking for a fun/silly read with likable characters, no steam love scenes, and a happy ever after – this book is for you. This is the fifth book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone title with no problems.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher. *

The Duke’s Privateer by Amy Jarecki

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Duke's Privateer (Devilish Dukes #3)The Duke’s Privateer by Amy Jarecki

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Devilish Dukes, #3

Release Date: January 5, 2021

The last person Miss Eleanor Kent ever expected to be interested in the chinoiserie that she “obtained” for Prinny’s collection at Brighton Pavilion was Sherborn “Sher” Price, the Duke of Danby. But on further consideration, she realizes she really shouldn’t be surprised, since the duke has been tasked by the Prime Minister to track down and stop smugglers from sneaking their goods into England and failing to pay the duties – something she knows a lot about – since she is in fact a smuggler! She tries to keep her head low and not attract any more attention than necessary, but the duke seems more than a little intrigued by her and with Prinny’s help, convinces her to meet with his mother about redecorating his townhouse. With no way to refuse, Eleanor accepts but hopes to avoid him.

But Sher isn’t about to let her off the hook that easy – he suspects she is not all she appears to be and once he starts digging into her life, learns that her invalid father owns an import business and the more he digs, the more he is convinced that Eleanor is involved in smuggling, but he isn’t sure to what extent and uses that as an excuse to stay close to her. He invites her to ride in the park, which results in her finding an abandoned baby, a baby she refuses to turn over to a foundling house. She is shocked to learn that Sher is very good with babies and even helps her find a nursemaid for the baby girl, she calls Margaret. There is also the fact that when he learned her father is mentally locked inside his own mind, he offered to visit him and read to him – which has unexpected results for both of them – for her, her father begins to interact and respond for the first time in years, making it impossible for her to keep Sher from visiting and for him – he overhears her servants talking about shipments and uses that info to bring her empire to a halt. But when she tries to sever ties with him and asks Prinny for help – things that an unexpected turn!

This was well written, fast-paced, fun read with very likable characters and several interesting plot points. The story has a lot to like, smugglers, a secondary romance, a foundling, a strong heroine, a wonderful hero, several twists and turns, a marriage of convenience, warm to steamyish love scenes, and a very sweet ending complete with an epilogue. I did feel the story meandered off point a couple of times, but in the end, it was all good. This is the third book in the series, but it can definitely be read and enjoyed as a standalone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher.*