Review: God's teeth!  I beg your pardon!!!
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 06 13, 2012
God's teeth!  How do I begin this review?  Let's see . . .this book is about the poor Duke of Rochester, our hero Alexander.  He lost his first wife and two daughters due to illness, and after much urging is on the hunt for another bride so he can get that all important heir.  He's let himself fall into a pit of depression while blowing money on gambling and drinking.  Alexander hangs out with some unsavory characters as well.  However, a chance meeting with our heroine Isobel changes his life.  They meet at a ball afterward, court quickly and marry at record speed.  Not much courtship is shown, and I didn't really feel a connection initially.Begging your pardon, but in the first few chapters of the book Alexander is often shown to be cold and uncaring.  He becomes distant and acts disappointed when Isobel fails to conceive within the first few months of marriage.  Isobel is shown to be a mousy individual without much backbone to speak up.  One night Alexander is drunk and punishes Isobel for "ruining his name" at a party.  I beg your pardon, but Isobel runs away the next day.  This causes Alexander to reflect on his life to make changes.  God's teeth!  He promises to be a different man if he can just get his love back!  He doesn't even blame her for running away, and he even takes all the blame for Isobel not getting pregnant upon himself as well.After being in hiding for a while Isobel discovers she is pregnant after leaving Alexander.  God's teeth!  She decides to go back to the home they shared.  Alexander is gone, and this gives Isobel time to establish a small army of servants who are loyal to her as she sets up house in the east wing of the home.  Alexander accidentally discovers she is back and spends the rest of the book groveling in one form or another trying to win Isobel's love once again.This is when the book sort of changes gears and starts veering into a mystery.  God's teeth!  There are a few villains causing trouble for the couple; murder, mayhem and distrust abound at this point.  Isobel falls in and out of love with Alexander a half dozen times due to perceived slights.  Alexander's personality is completely transformed, and he sort of becomes a wimp as he bows to each and every demand Isobel makes. God's teeth!  It was really starting to get irritating.Begging your pardon, but there is the happily ever after at the end of this book because that is the typical outcome of most romances.  I don't begrudge the ending at all.  However, I have to say, you could really get involved in a serious drinking game with the writing in this book.  The two phrases I used as my review title are repeated over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over.  You get my drift right?  I'm sure if I had bothered taking a shot for each time one of those phrases was used I would have been well wasted by the end.  Even the author must have realized how ridiculous it was becoming because she had Isobel making fun of "I beg your pardon" once in the book.I do beg your pardon, but God's teeth I couldn't bear to read this story again.  I'm afraid it will be removed from my Kindle as it is not a keeper.