Review: It has its moments
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 11 21, 2013
Duchess by Chance pairs a Duke with a common born woman who despite their stations have much in common.  This story has a forced wedding at its center.Daniel discovers at his father’s deathbed that his father has wagered that Daniel would wed a commoner.  Daniel is furious but honors the agreement. He marries Eva but barely looks at her during the ceremony or on the journey to his estate.  He intends to leave her in the country then go back to London immediately.Eva’s father is unscrupulous and greedy, just like Daniel’s late sire. She is grateful to be away from him and her older obnoxious brothers.  She is unsure of herself around her new husband and is relieved that he intends to leave her in the country as she has never been to London and has no desire to go there.Daniel discovers his wife was not complicit in the betrothal agreement and when he reunites with her his attitude is much kinder.  He wants to introduce her to London (he is a member of the House of Lords)  but she is resistant and does all she can to avoid leaving the safety of her country home.  In fact, Eva’s biggest flaw is fear.  She allows her fears to dictate almost every decision in her life.  She has a low self esteem when it comes to the ton but somehow figures she can handle those attempting to blackmail her.  Her husband is patient and it takes a great deal for her to trust him.This story ran hot and cold for me.  While I liked the premise of two strangers finding themselves wed and trying to make a go of it, I found Eva to be too fearful.  She had a difficult time seeing how resourceful her husband truly was and she does not develop confidence even when she is a success in London.