Review: Hilarious - Laughed My Socks Off!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 1, 2014
Our Handsome Duke:  The Duke of Montford is OCD to the point everything has to be perfectly lined up, he changes cravats sometimes six times each day due to wrinkles, he faints at the sight of blood, wants everything he views to be symmetrical and then he meets up with Astrid.Our Bluestocking Astrid:  Astrid has been in charge of the family brewery since she was 14 years old.  Although her family's long-standing agreement - 200 years in fact -  with the Montfords states very clearly that should the male line die out, the Montfords may/can reclaim the lush land upon which the brewery stands including the old castle the Honeywells live in, she will take her stand upon her land and do whatever it takes to keep the property for her family.The Story:  Montford's Man of Business, Stevenage, mistakenly allows the Honeywell family to continue on one year following Astrid's father's death.  Once Montford is informed of this fact, he packs Stevenage off to discover what is going on at the Honeywell estate.  However, he receives only one mysterious note from Stevenage so decides he must take off to the wilds of Yorkshire to determine what is going on himself, even though he is scheduled to be married in a few short weeks to the lovely, Araminta Carlisle.Problem is - Montford gets very sick when he rides in a jostling carriage and the journey takes three long days.  He casts up his accounts during the three days until there is nothing left to cast up.  Plus he refuses to spend any nights at inns due to his squeamishness so he is one tired turkey when he finally arrives at the Honeywell estate.What he finds is Astrid outside dressed like a man in a garden with a huge pig names Petunia.  That of course is only for starters.  Very soon, he is down in the mud himself and the story takes off.  I don't know when I have laughed so hard at a story.  Things go from bad to worse when Montford looks into Astrid's eyes and finds one blue and one brown eye.  In Montford's mind, that is wrong - just wrong.  Further, he finds himself overwhelmingly attracted to this hoyden who dresses like a man, has flyaway hair and is more stubborn than any female he has ever met.One of the highlights of the story is when the Village Festival takes place and Montford is publicly challenged by Astrid to run in the 2 mile long footrace whereby each contender must stop and drink a mug of ale along the way.  I don't know when I have enjoyed a story more.  I'm going to immediately search for more books by this author.