Review: Very Enjoyable Story - Sweet, Feisty Heroine - Handsome Duke
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 3, 2014
Gabriella is a young lady who enjoys her life in the country, treating animals and trying her best to keep up the veterinary practice left vacant by her deceased father.  Although her father was the second son of a Viscount, she was never given the opportunity to have a Season and in fact, would just as soon stay in the country making the best of her situation.  Her mother, however, has other ideas and persuades her older daughter, Angela and wife of a baronet, to invite Gabriella to London for a Season - invitation to include the provision of all the clothing and accoutrements necessary.Gabriella, knowing Angela is not a very pleasant woman, has no choice but to abide by her mother's wishes and heads out to London with her maid.  During the first stop of the post chaise, Gabriella sees a very sad, severely beaten horse being led to the stables and she goes off the deep end wanting to know who the owner is, etc.  When she finds out where the owner is ensconced, she accosts him, calling him to account for the treatment of the horse.  Unbeknownst to Gabriella, she has just encountered the Duke of Ravenham and he has other priorities than to take a scolding from someone who looks to be no more than a simple servant.  She realizes the best she can do is go treat the horse's wounds as best as she can and then gets back on the post chaise and continues on to London.Once she arrives in London, she is disheartened to learn that her sister is even more cold and calculating than she had previously thought.  Concurrently, the Duke of Ravenham (Dexter) has lost a wager and finds himself agreeing to "take on" a fresh young lady who has just arrived from the country and sponsor her for the Season.  Imagine his surprise when he realizes it is the young woman who gave him a scolding.  Imagine Gabriella's surprise when she realizes the man she confronted back at the inn is the almighty Duke of Ravenham.As time goes on, it seems Dexter might not be as cruel to animals as Gabriella thought and conversely, it seems that Gabriella, when dressed up and beautified doesn't seem quite so drab as the young lady who accosted Dexter at the inn.  This was a very refreshing read mostly due to the fact that Gabriella was feisty, honest, non-superficial and all that was honorable in her dealings with people.  In the end, these qualities gave her what she wanted in life.