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.
The Silent Duke (The 1797 Club, #4) by Jess Michaels Series: The 1797 Club #4
Published by Passionate Pen on November 14th 2017
Genres: Historical
Pages: 200
Goodreads
FINAL DECISION: This is a sweet little story as two friends navigate the hero’s insecurities and fears and find their way to a happy ending. The conflict here is the hero’s, but I enjoyed the interaction between these two.
THE STORY: Ewan, Duke of Donburrow was born mute and abused by his father who wanted to commit him to an asylum so that one of his “normal” sons could inherit. The wounds inflicted by Ewan’s father have scored deep. Charlotte, Countess of Portsmith, has loved Ewan forever. When he rejected her years ago, she rebounded into a loveless, but not horrible, marriage. Now widowed, Charlotte is determined to try again with Ewan.
OPINION: This story was sweeter than I expected. These two love one another from the start and just have to work through the pain of Ewan’s childhood to find one another.
Ewan is a good man. Abused as a child, he has managed to become a worthy gentleman. Charlotte is a woman who is determined to try and get what she wants finally. She comes to Ewan’s house for Christmas determined to try and seduce him finally. There is no doubt that these two are meant to be together. The intimacy of their friendship and the closeness they feel is obvious from the start.
The emphasis in this story is Ewan’s own growth. He has to make the change to be with Charlotte. I found that while this story isn’t particularly long, its length works here where there isn’t a tremendous amount of conflict to be resolved. There is one external drama that happens towards the end of the story, but by then most of the drama between the characters has been resolved.
The sweetness of the characters and the story made me really enjoy this book.
WORTH MENTIONING: Virgin hero.
CONNECTED BOOKS: THE SILENT DUKE is the fourth book in the 1797 Club series. While the book can be read as a standalone as the romance is self-contained, there are overlapping characters that are discussed.
STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.