Review: Worthwhile Read
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 30, 2013
The first time I tried reading this book, I thought it was a snooze-fest and had to put it down....the plot, the characters, everything just seemed so flat.  However, I'm the type of person that just MUST finish a book once I've started reading it, even if I have to wait a while before doing so.  So, after reading a couple of other books, I returned to this one.  And I have to say, the second time I started reading it I liked it much, much better.The story is sweet, though the characters are a bit flat.  Jillian's guardian, her despicable uncle, is intent on marrying her off to the highest bidder.  He also, however, is very much interested in seducing the poor girl himself!  Add to that, the fact that he is physically abusive towards Jillian and you have a honest to goodness villain of the piece!  Jillian is finally forced to flee her home due to her uncles inappropriate advances.While in hiding, she has a chance encounter with the hero.  He is quite attracted to Jillian, but the two go their separate ways after Slade renders some assistance to her.  Unknown to Jillian, Slade is a Duke and lives in the same town where her Uncle resides.  An offhand comment by Slade to Jillian's uncle results in her being found and dragged back home.  Slade discovers that Jillian has returned home and decides to pay a call upon her and her uncle.  The situation in which he finds Jillian upsets him.  He feels responsible for her predicament and thus, offers for her hand.  From there the story quickly develops to the HEA.The reader gets to see the romance develop between Slade and Jillian and witness them falling in love with each other.  Slade is a wonderful husband, kind, patient, and understanding.  Jillian is sensible, level headed, and loyal to her friends.  There is one misunderstanding between the two towards the end of the book, which was, IMHO, silly.  Nevertheless, overall this is a very sweet story.From the writing it is obvious that this is an early work from a new author, but for all that, Ms. Riker's talent for weaving a good story is very evident.  On the other hand, although I liked the characters well enough, they never really came alive and seemed a bit flat throughout the story.Then there is the issue with the titles and forms of address.  So many authors get it wrong, and it is annoying (especially when it is a simple matter of googling the issue.)  In this instance, we are never told what Slade's actual title is....we know he's a duke, but Duke of What?  The name of his estate is Blackbourne, so one could assume that he is the Duke of Blackbourne, but his friends refer to him as Ashley, which is his surname.  There is also the fact that Jillian is addressed as "my lady", when her proper form of address should be her/your grace (she is a Duchess after all.)Finally, Jillian's uncle never gets his just desserts.  Once Jillian escapes his clutches we never hear about him again.Despite these deficiencies, this book is a worthwhile read.  The plot is good and the story keeps the reader engaged throughout.  BTW this is a clean romance...post-marital sex, with no details.  Happy reading!