Review: Ten Thing I Hate About the Duke

I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: Ten Thing I Hate About the DukeTen Things I Hate About the Duke (Difficult Dukes, #2) by Loretta Chase
Series: Difficult Dukes #2
Published by Avon on December 1, 2020
Genres: Historical
Pages: 400
Goodreads
four-half-stars

 

FINAL DECISION: Simply lovely romantic book. The hero and heroine move towards one another in this book without losing themselves. Wonderful read.

THE STORY: Cassandra Pomfret has known the Duke of Ashmont since she was a child. He was once her hero, and she had dreams of them together. But Ashmont disappointed her for years. He barely paid any attention to her and instead has spent his life being idle and wild. Cassandra has built a life for herself doing things of purpose. This life, however, is threatened by her father who refuses to allow Cassandra’s younger sister to have her season until Cassandra marries. Even that prospect, however, is put at risk by Ashmont’s presence, which seems to bring potential scandal in its wake.

OPINION: I really loved this story because Ashmont had to fight so hard for Cassandra. In the process, he grows and changes and finds a higher purpose in his life. There are external factors which push and pull these two characters together and apart, but this book is primarily the interactions between Ashmont and Cassandra. Her deep disappointment in him and his continued attempts to move towards her. I love a redemption story and Chase does an amazing job of making Ashmont’s journey a personal one.

Cassandra is a strong woman who is unwilling to place herself into the hands of Ashmont because she knows that heartache will be the only result — even if he is a duke. Her determination to tell him his failings and then his determination to make changes in his life animate this story.

The story is more romance than sex, and I loved that. I ended the book feeling that these characters had made extraordinary moves towards one another in a warm way.

WORTH MENTIONING: The book has a loose connection with the storyline of Shakespeare’s The Taming of Shrew.

CONNECTED BOOKS: TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT THE DUKE is the second book in the Difficult Dukes series. The romance here is self-contained, and it is not necessary to have read the first book. Because this book overlaps with and continues from the events in the first book, however, reading the books in order gives more insight into the characters and their motivations.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

NOTE: I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

 

four-half-stars

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