Review: 3.5
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 26, 2013
Great plot.  Loved the story.  It's a plot I've read before, but this author added a touch of originality that helped this book shine.I liked the heroine.  She was the classic damsel in distress.  I loved the way she was both insecure and strong.  I do wish she had opened up to her husband a bit quicker.  It always bothers me, when heroines grow close to other characters but still shys away from the hero.I really liked the hero.  He was strong but had a soft spot for the heroine.  I was kind of confused by the way people seemed to steam roll him.  I am not a history major, but I'm pretty sure Dukes did not spend a lot of time being threatened by people of lower social standing, so it confused me a bit.I really liked Simon.  I look forward to reading his story.  I wish we had gotten to know Clair a bit more.  I'm sure she will be Simons heroine, so I wish we would have got a better back story for her.This book would have been a solid four and a half stars, but two things really brought it down for me.I have a problem with the writing style, especially when the characters were having a conversation.  A few times it seemed topics were changed, without finishing the previous thought.  It left me feeling like a paragraph or two was missing from the book.  Two times, I was so shocked by the quick topic change that I went back a page just to make sure I didn't miss something.I had a major issue with the way the author constantly used names and titles when characters were soeaking.  Nearly every sentence of dialogue included a persons name, even when only two people were talking.  ( example.....  "I got a new dress,  duke." "You look beautiful in it, duchess".  "Thank you, your grace."  " that color makes your eyes shine,  duchess.").  Every conversation was like that.  It drove me crazy.