Review: Great story, clever dialogue!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 9, 2014
This story takes place during early Regency or late Georgian period when skirts and hair are big and clothing, parties and language are flamboyant. The Georgian era was not nearly as restrictive as the Regency era and that makes this book a whole lot of fun with forthright speech, exquisite wardrobes and lively entertainments (including live animals on stage at the opera).Kate's first husband convinced her that he loved her and then buried her in the country while he carried on his party-boy existence in London, using HER dowry! She felt duped and lonely. When he died, she vowed to enjoy her new life of freedom, never to remarry and to not believe in love. Ryder, the Duke of Darkwell, lives a half-existence spending his time between brooding about his wife's death alone in his room and attending risqué parties where he maintains his reputation as an expert in pleasuring women. Kate becomes infatuated with him through the gossip columns she reads while stuck in the country and is determined to experience his expertise when she's finally free to move to London.The book opens with Kate knocking on Ryder's door and subsequently meeting him. There's an immediate attraction between them and the book focusses on their developing relationship. They see each other in the park, at the opera and at several parties, including a very scandalous one. Kate's friend/cousin, Imogen and Ryder's best friend, the Duke of Hunt, both add to the lively dialogue and events in the story. I love it when authors can write realistic dialogue between men. I've spent years listening to my brother talking to his frat brothers, and they are frequently coarse and tease each other mercilessly. This author has nailed that repartee between Ryder and his friend. There is also plenty of banter between Ryder and Kate, and she definitely has a good amount of pluck, which is always a good thing in a heroine.Overall this is well written and I enjoyed the story, the characters and the dialogue. It's lovely to read about two lonely lovers finding their HEA together. There are some editing issues, but I think the author will be fixing them. The language may seem too modern for purists, but according to Marion Chesney's "School for Manners" series, language during the Georgian era was much more forthright. I liked it (thankfully there's very little cussing) and found that it kept the story moving forward at a brisk pace without misunderstandings or beating around the bush. There are multiple explicit scenes, so I'd recommend this book to readers who are looking for a spicy romance.