Review: GUTSY AMERICAN GIRL vs. AN ARROGANT ENGLISH DUKE
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 14, 2014
What does an English Duke do when he is enslaved by a gutsy, cheeky and math crazy American girl? He takes her on a most EXCELLENT ADVENTURE!Miss Daphne Farrington lives a life of numbers. The number 10 is for calming and soothing her and the number 6 is for sin and imperfection. Daphne is from Boston and is in England with her brother Thomas. They are embraced by their deceased mother's sister, Lady Susan Amherst, and her family. Their job is to find investors and renew trade with England for her father's shipping company. Her brother, Samuel, was captured, enslaved and murdered on an English ship, the Seraphine. Now Daphne believes all things English are tarnished, corrupted and evil. When she meets the Duke, she prays for the number 10 and tries to forget the number 6.Edward Lambert Spencer Lacey, the 5th Duke of Waverly, fears only three things: God, his Mother's retribution and only be wanted for his title and wealth. The Dowager Duchess has been hounding him to marry the perfect English woman and she has even made it easy for him by picking out Lady Isabella for the job. Edward dreams of a woman who truly wants and loves him as a man and not as a duke. Edward has set his sights on Miss Daphne Farrington, but there is a couple of problems with his choice, she is an American, her father is in TRADE and she hates all things English.Daphne and Thomas busted into Mr. Burnham's office and accuse him of steal from them. Edward is at Mr. Burnham's office and is instantly mesmerized by Miss Daphne Farrington and knows he must have her. Mr. Burnham denies any wrong doing and begins to trash then Farrington name throughout London. Thomas threatens to make Daphne stay in England for a whole year, if she unable to influence the Duke to help squash the rumors. Edward agrees to help, but he wants something in return, for her to get to know him and judge him as a man at his country estate, Thornhaven.Daphne and Edward's story has so many speed bump in their way. The Dowager Duchess creates a house party from Hades at Thornhaven. Lady Isabella and a nosey and handsy Earl of Westbrook are invited along with her Aunt Susan and her daughters. The snobby Duchess treats Daphne as if she is polluting them with her Americaness and GOD forbid TRADE! With the help of creative accounting, scheming family members, a well placed mud hole, the cunning and dishonest Mr. Burnham and yes even a summer rainstorm to bring these two love starved and crazy kids together. Will Edward's secret about the Seraphine kill Daphne's love for him? Can Daphne ever love the man who is responsible for Samuel's death? But most of all, will the Dowager Duchess ever get her well deserved slap upside her head?This book world that Ms. Fowlkes created was such a joy to explore and I loved experiencing all the crazy folks doing hilarious and many stupid things. Daphne is a intelligent and spunky American! She shows England that she will not be dismissed, scolded or underestimated! With his sense of responsibility, his humbleness and did I mention his yummy body, Edward strips and bares his true self to Daphne. He can only hope and pray that she will see the man, not the arrogant English Duke. Laughter is a true gift to us all and Ms. Fowlkes has be blessed with it. She made me fell in love with her kooky characters, loose myself in laughter, loses my voice YELLING at the Dowager Duchess, unearth my slightly crushed and smelly pompoms and cheer Edward and Daphne on, and create and live in my own personal Thornhaven universe. I really like Ms. Fowlkes' cosmos and give her a score of 4 finger up and 7 toes. My only complaint is I needed more steamy, carnal and arousing debauchery!Reviewed from a NetGalley ARC for an honest review.