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Playful Brides #1
The Unexpected Duchess
Is there any greater surprise than falling deeply, madly in love?
In This Battle of Wits
Lady Lucy Upton’s tongue may be too sharp to attract suitors but her heart is good, and when her painfully shy friend Cassandra needs help she devises a brilliant scheme to help her discourage an unwanted suitor, the Duke of Claringdon. Lucy will hide behind the hedgerow and tell Cass just what to say to discourage the duke…but it turns out that he’s made of sterner stuff than either of them anticipated. And Lucy is shocked to discover that tangling with the tenacious man is the most fun she’s had in ages.
Kisses Are the Best Weapon
Lord Derek Hunt made a promise to his dying friend to marry the demure Cassandra, and for a man who wants nothing more than peace and quiet after the horrors of war, she’ll make the perfect bride. If only the impudent Miss Upton will let him court the girl! Doing battle is the last thing on his mind, but bantering with Lucy behind the bushes is too tempting to resist. And the spoils of this war just may be true love…
In This Battle of Wits
Lady Lucy Upton’s tongue may be too sharp to attract suitors but her heart is good, and when her painfully shy friend Cassandra needs help she devises a brilliant scheme to help her discourage an unwanted suitor, the Duke of Claringdon. Lucy will hide behind the hedgerow and tell Cass just what to say to discourage the duke…but it turns out that he’s made of sterner stuff than either of them anticipated. And Lucy is shocked to discover that tangling with the tenacious man is the most fun she’s had in ages.
Kisses Are the Best Weapon
Lord Derek Hunt made a promise to his dying friend to marry the demure Cassandra, and for a man who wants nothing more than peace and quiet after the horrors of war, she’ll make the perfect bride. If only the impudent Miss Upton will let him court the girl! Doing battle is the last thing on his mind, but bantering with Lucy behind the bushes is too tempting to resist. And the spoils of this war just may be true love…
354 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 29, 2014
177 people are currently reading
3240 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Bowman
50 books1,425 followersValerie Bowman is an award-winning author who writes historical and contemporary romance.
Valerie’s debut novel was published in 2012. Since then, her books have received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus. She’s been an RT Reviewers’ Choice nominee for Best First Historical Romance and Best Historical Romance Love and Laughter. Two of her books have been nominated for the Kirkus Prize for fiction.
Valerie grew up in Illinois with six sisters (she’s number seven) and a huge supply of romance novels. After a cold and snowy stint earning a degree in English Language and Literature with a minor in history at Smith College, she moved to Florida the first chance she got. Valerie now lives in Jacksonville with her family including her rascally dogs. When she’s not writing, she keeps busy reading, traveling, or vacillating between watching crazy reality TV and PBS.
Visit Valerie on the web at www.ValerieBowmanBooks.com and sign-up for her newsletter at: https://valeriebowmanbooks.com/newsle...
Be sure to follow Valerie Bookbub for the latest on sales https://www.bookbub.com/authors/valer...
Valerie’s debut novel was published in 2012. Since then, her books have received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus. She’s been an RT Reviewers’ Choice nominee for Best First Historical Romance and Best Historical Romance Love and Laughter. Two of her books have been nominated for the Kirkus Prize for fiction.
Valerie grew up in Illinois with six sisters (she’s number seven) and a huge supply of romance novels. After a cold and snowy stint earning a degree in English Language and Literature with a minor in history at Smith College, she moved to Florida the first chance she got. Valerie now lives in Jacksonville with her family including her rascally dogs. When she’s not writing, she keeps busy reading, traveling, or vacillating between watching crazy reality TV and PBS.
Visit Valerie on the web at www.ValerieBowmanBooks.com and sign-up for her newsletter at: https://valeriebowmanbooks.com/newsle...
Be sure to follow Valerie Bookbub for the latest on sales https://www.bookbub.com/authors/valer...
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August 31, 2014This one's a retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac only with a sassy heroine and a delicious twist!
April 25, 2014
This book is for fans of scintillating dialogue and stimulating back and forth between the hero and heroine. It brings to mind "Taming of the Shrew" in the best ways. The chemistry is excellent, and while this is on the lighter side for a historical romance, it's a fun ride to watch Lucy and Derek go at it, and fall deeper in love with each encounter. It has a love scene that made me fan myself!
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine for the May 2014 issue. http://affairedecoeur.com.
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine for the May 2014 issue. http://affairedecoeur.com.
April 24, 2018
3.5 stars
This is the first book I have read / listened to by this author and a difficult rating for me to decide upon. I listened to the book within 24 hours. I definitely enjoyed it.
Lady Lucy Upton is a b****! Some of my friends absolutely cannot take a book with a heroin who behaves like this. I am usually more forgiving. In this case, it was difficult because she is Extreme. Fortunately, there is some backstory into her behavior; and she is loyal to her friends. In the end, she redeemed herself pretty well.
Lord Derek Hunt, the Duke of Clarendon, is not much better. He is known as the Duke of Decisive, and he never changes his mind. He made a promise to his best friend on his deathbed that he would court and marry Lady Cassandra if she would have him. That's all well and good; but no matter what happens, he refuses to change his mind for the longest time! I just thought it took too long for the major characters in the story to truly find each other.
I will admit that in general I don't care for the enemies to lovers trope. I also don't like it when there are innocent bystanders or when there are ridiculous excuses made for why the turn of events cannot happen sooner.
HOWEVER... in spite of all I just wrote, I enjoyed the story. I loved the humor and the farcical comedy of the plot, no matter that it was completely ludicrous and unrealistic. I also enjoy Alison Larkin's narration.
Therefore, I definitely plan to read more by this author. In fact, I plan to listen to the very next book in this series.
This is the first book I have read / listened to by this author and a difficult rating for me to decide upon. I listened to the book within 24 hours. I definitely enjoyed it.
Lady Lucy Upton is a b****! Some of my friends absolutely cannot take a book with a heroin who behaves like this. I am usually more forgiving. In this case, it was difficult because she is Extreme. Fortunately, there is some backstory into her behavior; and she is loyal to her friends. In the end, she redeemed herself pretty well.
Lord Derek Hunt, the Duke of Clarendon, is not much better. He is known as the Duke of Decisive, and he never changes his mind. He made a promise to his best friend on his deathbed that he would court and marry Lady Cassandra if she would have him. That's all well and good; but no matter what happens, he refuses to change his mind for the longest time! I just thought it took too long for the major characters in the story to truly find each other.
I will admit that in general I don't care for the enemies to lovers trope. I also don't like it when there are innocent bystanders or when there are ridiculous excuses made for why the turn of events cannot happen sooner.
HOWEVER... in spite of all I just wrote, I enjoyed the story. I loved the humor and the farcical comedy of the plot, no matter that it was completely ludicrous and unrealistic. I also enjoy Alison Larkin's narration.
Therefore, I definitely plan to read more by this author. In fact, I plan to listen to the very next book in this series.
June 19, 2014
A Bad Monty Python for Junior High
Lord Derek Hunt has returned from the war. He has been made the Duke of Claringdon for his extraordinary service for his country in that war. He was sent home with instructions to find a suitable bride. One stipulation of his duchy is that his choice of bride must be approved by the Queen. His friend, as he was dying, requested that Derek marry Lady Cassandra. His friend assured him that Lady Cassandra was duchess material and his friend wanted Derek to take care of Cass. Derek promised to do just that, but her friend, Lady Lucy Upton, has thwarted him at every turn.
There was not one plausible moment in this whole book. The book existed only to serve as a backdrop for, to this reader, one stupid, unbelievable antic after another. The author dishonored every tenet of historical romance. The author proved with this book that one can get a book published under the genre label just by mentioning English places, completely ignoring, or purposely insulting, the truth of the mores of English society in the time period denoted.
Here we go, again, with contemporary acting characters placed in situations that could never exist in England in the 1800's. The heroine went to an unmarried Duke's residence, knocked on the door, and entered through the front door, numerous times alone, without a chaperone, with no repercussions. She went riding, picnicking, and walking with the Duke with no chaperone. The Duke made her the object of a White's betting book entry and then proceeded to make her the object of a vulgar display at a ball to attempt win the bet, with no repercussions. The heroine visits the Queen and totally disrespected her and the Court, with no negative repercussions. Guess this author feels comfortable rewriting history, however, I did not like reading this revisionist rubbish.
In my opinion, the heroine acted like a 10 year old most of the time, and, at best, never rose above the level of a 12 year old. The scenes that were supposed to be funny were childish and unbelievable to me. Hiding in a bush, telling someone else what to say to another? We are to believe that one person could hear the Bush dweller, but not the other person standing nearby? We are talking about adults here.
To this reader, this plot was simplistic to the extreme. The characters would fit better in a nursery. The heroine even said in the book that it was like she was trapped in a "romp play." To be fair, I do believe this author intended this to be a hilarious farce. This author and I definitely have differing opinions on what is funny. If the book would have been labeled as such farce, It would have been a little bit more palatable, but we are led to believe this was an historical romance. There was a little romance in the last few pages. The rest of the book was filled with disrespect from most of the characters to each other. And it made me, the reader, feel disrespected, also.
I will not be reading any more from this author. I cannot believe I paid more than 99¢ for this boring book. Wish I had been one of the numerous reviewers who had received this book for free. Instead I paid more than $5 to bore myself.
Lord Derek Hunt has returned from the war. He has been made the Duke of Claringdon for his extraordinary service for his country in that war. He was sent home with instructions to find a suitable bride. One stipulation of his duchy is that his choice of bride must be approved by the Queen. His friend, as he was dying, requested that Derek marry Lady Cassandra. His friend assured him that Lady Cassandra was duchess material and his friend wanted Derek to take care of Cass. Derek promised to do just that, but her friend, Lady Lucy Upton, has thwarted him at every turn.
There was not one plausible moment in this whole book. The book existed only to serve as a backdrop for, to this reader, one stupid, unbelievable antic after another. The author dishonored every tenet of historical romance. The author proved with this book that one can get a book published under the genre label just by mentioning English places, completely ignoring, or purposely insulting, the truth of the mores of English society in the time period denoted.
Here we go, again, with contemporary acting characters placed in situations that could never exist in England in the 1800's. The heroine went to an unmarried Duke's residence, knocked on the door, and entered through the front door, numerous times alone, without a chaperone, with no repercussions. She went riding, picnicking, and walking with the Duke with no chaperone. The Duke made her the object of a White's betting book entry and then proceeded to make her the object of a vulgar display at a ball to attempt win the bet, with no repercussions. The heroine visits the Queen and totally disrespected her and the Court, with no negative repercussions. Guess this author feels comfortable rewriting history, however, I did not like reading this revisionist rubbish.
In my opinion, the heroine acted like a 10 year old most of the time, and, at best, never rose above the level of a 12 year old. The scenes that were supposed to be funny were childish and unbelievable to me. Hiding in a bush, telling someone else what to say to another? We are to believe that one person could hear the Bush dweller, but not the other person standing nearby? We are talking about adults here.
To this reader, this plot was simplistic to the extreme. The characters would fit better in a nursery. The heroine even said in the book that it was like she was trapped in a "romp play." To be fair, I do believe this author intended this to be a hilarious farce. This author and I definitely have differing opinions on what is funny. If the book would have been labeled as such farce, It would have been a little bit more palatable, but we are led to believe this was an historical romance. There was a little romance in the last few pages. The rest of the book was filled with disrespect from most of the characters to each other. And it made me, the reader, feel disrespected, also.
I will not be reading any more from this author. I cannot believe I paid more than 99¢ for this boring book. Wish I had been one of the numerous reviewers who had received this book for free. Instead I paid more than $5 to bore myself.
August 10, 2022
2 Stars
Highlights
- My first Valerie Bowman, and maybe my last.
- The author was going for funny, I guess, but to me, it wasn't.
- The many, many historical inaccuracies got to me.
- Oh, the drama, so much drama. I am an Indian, if I need soap operas, I can easily find them. I don't need them in the books I read.
- Utterly unlikable heroine.
- Likeable hero.
- Little romance, so to speak. More banter/ enemies to lovers kinda thing.
- The ending was okay.
*I did not expect much, but I remain unimpressed.
Highlights
- My first Valerie Bowman, and maybe my last.
- The author was going for funny, I guess, but to me, it wasn't.
- The many, many historical inaccuracies got to me.
- Oh, the drama, so much drama. I am an Indian, if I need soap operas, I can easily find them. I don't need them in the books I read.
- Utterly unlikable heroine.
- Likeable hero.
- Little romance, so to speak. More banter/ enemies to lovers kinda thing.
- The ending was okay.
*I did not expect much, but I remain unimpressed.
August 25, 2014
I wrote notes on this, but I'm not going to draw up an actual review because I already wasted hours of my time reading the novel.
So here's what I jotted in Evernote as I went:
So far this is just plain silly. the heroine stood behind her friend hidden by a hedgerow, feeding her lines and hero wasn't fooled.
And now her plan is standing behind her friend at a balcony and speaking for her (imitating her voice) and hero's not supposed to figure that out either
Their sparring isn't even amusing yet (46pages in)
Penchant used a bit often.
The friend Cass is annoying. Grow a f***ing backbbone
Cass is "pretending" to be a ninny to the duke? Really? She seems like a ninny anyway.
The 20 reasons not to dance would have been better without the heroine's lame commentary and there was little sparing there, sigh
Modern turns of phrase like "A silver tray? Really?" And. "First of all" using even as a filler "She wasn't even here." "Telling bawdy jokes or something"
The back copy claims it's a battle of wits but the heroine is sarcastic without being witty. If you want a battle of wits in a historical setting, pick up an Eloisa James book.
Worst traditional published historical I've read to date. I'm not sure the author/editor fact checked anything.
146 pages and Lucy has finally decided to let her spineless friend handle her own damn problem. She finally becomes a heroine that isn't exceedingly annoying.
Shallllllow, interested in only mens looks
Twists obvious from the beginning
Pebbles against a window, a letter written by one and signed by another...could she be more cliche?
The friends matchmaking was obvious, too.
299 pages for the actual love scene (there was some hands action before that and some kissing)
Head hopping in the love scene.
So here's what I jotted in Evernote as I went:
So far this is just plain silly. the heroine stood behind her friend hidden by a hedgerow, feeding her lines and hero wasn't fooled.
And now her plan is standing behind her friend at a balcony and speaking for her (imitating her voice) and hero's not supposed to figure that out either
Their sparring isn't even amusing yet (46pages in)
Penchant used a bit often.
The friend Cass is annoying. Grow a f***ing backbbone
Cass is "pretending" to be a ninny to the duke? Really? She seems like a ninny anyway.
The 20 reasons not to dance would have been better without the heroine's lame commentary and there was little sparing there, sigh
Modern turns of phrase like "A silver tray? Really?" And. "First of all" using even as a filler "She wasn't even here." "Telling bawdy jokes or something"
The back copy claims it's a battle of wits but the heroine is sarcastic without being witty. If you want a battle of wits in a historical setting, pick up an Eloisa James book.
Worst traditional published historical I've read to date. I'm not sure the author/editor fact checked anything.
146 pages and Lucy has finally decided to let her spineless friend handle her own damn problem. She finally becomes a heroine that isn't exceedingly annoying.
Shallllllow, interested in only mens looks
Twists obvious from the beginning
Pebbles against a window, a letter written by one and signed by another...could she be more cliche?
The friends matchmaking was obvious, too.
299 pages for the actual love scene (there was some hands action before that and some kissing)
Head hopping in the love scene.
January 27, 2022
(Copy and pasted from my review on audible.com from 2015. May edit later.)
I've listened to all three books in this series, and I like this one the most. I enjoyed the bantering between the hero and the heroine. Their banters were so much fun to listen to that I couldn't help but smile several times. Both characters are strong-willed, clever, witty, and loyal. They are perfect for each other! The love scenes were pretty hot and steamy. *fans self*
I felt that some parts toward the end of the book kind of dragged a little.
I really liked the narrator. I wish she had narrated the third book. However, I didn't like that she made Lucy (the heroine in this book) sound a little older in Book 2. It would be a good idea to read/listen to the books in order, because Lucy and her friends appear in each book and a few references are made from each preceding book.
I've listened to all three books in this series, and I like this one the most. I enjoyed the bantering between the hero and the heroine. Their banters were so much fun to listen to that I couldn't help but smile several times. Both characters are strong-willed, clever, witty, and loyal. They are perfect for each other! The love scenes were pretty hot and steamy. *fans self*
I felt that some parts toward the end of the book kind of dragged a little.
I really liked the narrator. I wish she had narrated the third book. However, I didn't like that she made Lucy (the heroine in this book) sound a little older in Book 2. It would be a good idea to read/listen to the books in order, because Lucy and her friends appear in each book and a few references are made from each preceding book.
December 25, 2014
3.5 stars
Could have done without so much bloody drama in it, but I liked the characters :)
I liked that just like Lisa Kleypas "Wallflowers" series, we have a group of women best friends who decide to help one another.
I liked their banter, I liked their witticism.
I liked the main romance _could have done without the soap opera thing :/.
In the end I can't wait to read the friends future stories. The bluestocking in particular seems mighty promising!
And I especially liked that I had fun while reading this.
That doesn't happen much.
Yes, there were things, and actions that were just too risqué for a women to be able to do in that time and period, but, you know what?
I don't care. :)
Could have done without so much bloody drama in it, but I liked the characters :)
I liked that just like Lisa Kleypas "Wallflowers" series, we have a group of women best friends who decide to help one another.
I liked their banter, I liked their witticism.
I liked the main romance _could have done without the soap opera thing :/.
In the end I can't wait to read the friends future stories. The bluestocking in particular seems mighty promising!
And I especially liked that I had fun while reading this.
That doesn't happen much.
Yes, there were things, and actions that were just too risqué for a women to be able to do in that time and period, but, you know what?
I don't care. :)
June 6, 2015
Originally Posted At Addicted To Romance
Summary
Lady Lucy Upton, is considered to bold and outspoken and is considered a “wallflower”, Lucy has always been daring enough to speak her mind. When one of her two closest friends, Cassandra, is being pursued by the Duke of Claringdon, when she is interested in another man, but the Duke is being persistent, so Cassandra’s asks for Lucy’s help in deterring his advances. So Lucy comes up with various ways to discourage Derek Hunt. Derek’s best friend Julian, made him promise on his deathbed, to take care of Cassandra and marry her, knowing that his friend doesn’t have much longer to live, he tries to make good on his promise, but Cassandra doesn’t stir his blood like her friend Lucy does. Their quick-witted bantering, makes him want to second guess his decision to marry Cassandra, but he is split in two…one over honor or love…will Lucy and Derek find a way to be together despite the odds against them…
The Hero
Derek Hunt grew up in a military family, he and all of his brothers have served in the military. Derek became the Duke of Claringdon, through intelligence and creativity on the battlefield, and never imagined that he would be part of London’s most elite society. Derek knows that being the Duke holds great responsibility, but with his men missing on a mission, including his younger brother, Derek has been commanded to stay in London. Derek is a character that is smart and cunning, and is determined to win Cassandra. What was most likeable about Derek was his sense of humor and the way he could laugh at himself.
The Heroine
Lucy Upton, had to train herself to act like a man. she is bold and free-spoken, she doesn’t care what others think of her. She hasn’t exactly been the toast of the Ton since she met with the queen which was a total disaster. Lucy, lost her only sibling when she was a child, and ever since has never been able to make her parents proud of her. Lucy was a character, that I truly loved seeing in this story. She is Derek’s match in every way…boy she is opinionated, strong-willed and stubborn…a delighful combination. She is loyal to her friends and would do anything for their happiness…you don’t see that kind of loyalty every day.
Plot and Story Line
What was most enjoyable about The Unexpected Duchess was the way that Derek and Lucy developed a relationship. We see how these two go at it and quite wildly too. Boy do they have a way with words…its almost like they each have the encyclopedia memorized and being able to recall in instantly. The Unexpected Duchess is a story that is engaging, witty and completely pulls you in. I had no problem loving this one, and as this is my first Valerie Bowman book…I can tell you it won’t be my last. I am fully excited to try out Cassandra’s story next. What this story did for me was make a regency romance come alive for me in the same way that Lisa Kleypas and Sabrina Jeffries can do for me. From the first page or two I was hooked especially on the bantering between Lucy and Derek. But there was something more to this story than just a romance that intrigued me and kept me involved…it was the friendship. It is very difficult to make and keep friends like these three have managed to done. Each of them are a bit different, you have the outspoken one, the gentle and sweet and the bookworm. Allt three of them I felt a kinship to, and boy could I have a ton of fun with these outstanding ladies. They love and support each other in their endeavors, no matter what it is…that is true friendship. We also have a sub plot occurring in the story, of three men that are under Derek’s command, and we see how that develops and we still don’t get the full mystery revealed in this story, so I hope we get some more clues on that in the next book. So if your new to historical romance, or to this author….try her out…I guarantee you will have one adventure of wits and battles with words.
The Cover
Oh how I adore this cover…its simply gorgeous. The male is simple one nice piece of maleness…those toned shoulders and arms….yummy. And her dress…love the color, and the beautiful bow….love the way it flows down the back of her dress. What do you think of this cover?
Overall View
In The Unexpected Duchess we see a story that is a delightful mix of sexual tension, witty dialogue, heartwarming characters, and a romance to send you into a swoon….positively DELIGHTFUL!!
Summary
Lady Lucy Upton, is considered to bold and outspoken and is considered a “wallflower”, Lucy has always been daring enough to speak her mind. When one of her two closest friends, Cassandra, is being pursued by the Duke of Claringdon, when she is interested in another man, but the Duke is being persistent, so Cassandra’s asks for Lucy’s help in deterring his advances. So Lucy comes up with various ways to discourage Derek Hunt. Derek’s best friend Julian, made him promise on his deathbed, to take care of Cassandra and marry her, knowing that his friend doesn’t have much longer to live, he tries to make good on his promise, but Cassandra doesn’t stir his blood like her friend Lucy does. Their quick-witted bantering, makes him want to second guess his decision to marry Cassandra, but he is split in two…one over honor or love…will Lucy and Derek find a way to be together despite the odds against them…
The Hero
Derek Hunt grew up in a military family, he and all of his brothers have served in the military. Derek became the Duke of Claringdon, through intelligence and creativity on the battlefield, and never imagined that he would be part of London’s most elite society. Derek knows that being the Duke holds great responsibility, but with his men missing on a mission, including his younger brother, Derek has been commanded to stay in London. Derek is a character that is smart and cunning, and is determined to win Cassandra. What was most likeable about Derek was his sense of humor and the way he could laugh at himself.
The Heroine
Lucy Upton, had to train herself to act like a man. she is bold and free-spoken, she doesn’t care what others think of her. She hasn’t exactly been the toast of the Ton since she met with the queen which was a total disaster. Lucy, lost her only sibling when she was a child, and ever since has never been able to make her parents proud of her. Lucy was a character, that I truly loved seeing in this story. She is Derek’s match in every way…boy she is opinionated, strong-willed and stubborn…a delighful combination. She is loyal to her friends and would do anything for their happiness…you don’t see that kind of loyalty every day.
Plot and Story Line
What was most enjoyable about The Unexpected Duchess was the way that Derek and Lucy developed a relationship. We see how these two go at it and quite wildly too. Boy do they have a way with words…its almost like they each have the encyclopedia memorized and being able to recall in instantly. The Unexpected Duchess is a story that is engaging, witty and completely pulls you in. I had no problem loving this one, and as this is my first Valerie Bowman book…I can tell you it won’t be my last. I am fully excited to try out Cassandra’s story next. What this story did for me was make a regency romance come alive for me in the same way that Lisa Kleypas and Sabrina Jeffries can do for me. From the first page or two I was hooked especially on the bantering between Lucy and Derek. But there was something more to this story than just a romance that intrigued me and kept me involved…it was the friendship. It is very difficult to make and keep friends like these three have managed to done. Each of them are a bit different, you have the outspoken one, the gentle and sweet and the bookworm. Allt three of them I felt a kinship to, and boy could I have a ton of fun with these outstanding ladies. They love and support each other in their endeavors, no matter what it is…that is true friendship. We also have a sub plot occurring in the story, of three men that are under Derek’s command, and we see how that develops and we still don’t get the full mystery revealed in this story, so I hope we get some more clues on that in the next book. So if your new to historical romance, or to this author….try her out…I guarantee you will have one adventure of wits and battles with words.
The Cover
Oh how I adore this cover…its simply gorgeous. The male is simple one nice piece of maleness…those toned shoulders and arms….yummy. And her dress…love the color, and the beautiful bow….love the way it flows down the back of her dress. What do you think of this cover?
Overall View
In The Unexpected Duchess we see a story that is a delightful mix of sexual tension, witty dialogue, heartwarming characters, and a romance to send you into a swoon….positively DELIGHTFUL!!
October 1, 2022
3 stars. Decent story overall, but the humor was somewhat lost on me. I think a lot of the situations/lines were meant to be funny, but weren’t especially. The entire story is also lacking in historical accuracy.
The hero (Duke, I forgot his name already) and heroine (Lucy) meet when the hero returns from
war and is awarded a dukedom for his heroics and leadership. Before leaving his post, he makes his dying friend a promise to marry a woman named Cass, who also happens to be the heroine’s best friend. He starts attending ton events and immediately pursues Cass strongly. Cass, who is in love with another man, and too demure to handle the Duke on her own, asks Lucy for her help in discouraging his suit. Lucy has a shrewish tongue and isn’t afraid to speak her mind, so she embarks on a series of misadventures to help Cass get away from the Duke. Ofc, the Duke and Lucy end up drawn to each other, and after a lot of back and forth, eventually get a HEA.
Heroine was definitely a little less than likable from the start, but she did improve as the book went on. The hero does pursue the OW for the majority of this story, which isn’t a favorite trope for me. However, he had no feelings for Cass, and was just doing it because he felt it was his duty to honor his dying friend’s wish.
Overall, this is a decent story, with some good banter, but ultimately it just didn’t blow me away.
Safe; virgin heroine, hero not a manwhore. He mentions that it has been a while for him and overall there were very few mentions of his past. No scenes with OM/OW, OM drama from a man who is interested in the heroine, OW drama because hero is actively trying to marry the heroine’s friend, but he ends up spending very little time with her and never really alone. No really cheating imo, but some people may not like that hero is trying to get OW to marry him and meanwhile he’s kissing, making out with, and fondling the heroine.
The hero (Duke, I forgot his name already) and heroine (Lucy) meet when the hero returns from
war and is awarded a dukedom for his heroics and leadership. Before leaving his post, he makes his dying friend a promise to marry a woman named Cass, who also happens to be the heroine’s best friend. He starts attending ton events and immediately pursues Cass strongly. Cass, who is in love with another man, and too demure to handle the Duke on her own, asks Lucy for her help in discouraging his suit. Lucy has a shrewish tongue and isn’t afraid to speak her mind, so she embarks on a series of misadventures to help Cass get away from the Duke. Ofc, the Duke and Lucy end up drawn to each other, and after a lot of back and forth, eventually get a HEA.
Heroine was definitely a little less than likable from the start, but she did improve as the book went on. The hero does pursue the OW for the majority of this story, which isn’t a favorite trope for me. However, he had no feelings for Cass, and was just doing it because he felt it was his duty to honor his dying friend’s wish.
Overall, this is a decent story, with some good banter, but ultimately it just didn’t blow me away.
Safe; virgin heroine, hero not a manwhore. He mentions that it has been a while for him and overall there were very few mentions of his past. No scenes with OM/OW, OM drama from a man who is interested in the heroine, OW drama because hero is actively trying to marry the heroine’s friend, but he ends up spending very little time with her and never really alone. No really cheating imo, but some people may not like that hero is trying to get OW to marry him and meanwhile he’s kissing, making out with, and fondling the heroine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2018
I think I found me a new author to read. This was not only fun, it was heartwarming and emotionally satisfying. I will definitely be reading the series.
July 14, 2018
3.5 STARS
- Cyrano de Bergerac with a twist
- lovely female friendship
- hate-to-love romance
- so much fun banter!
sadly there was some random drama added to the end that i honestly couldn’t be bothered with so i had to knock it down a bit…still enjoyed it though!
- Cyrano de Bergerac with a twist
- lovely female friendship
- hate-to-love romance
- so much fun banter!
sadly there was some random drama added to the end that i honestly couldn’t be bothered with so i had to knock it down a bit…still enjoyed it though!
January 1, 2015
ARC provided by St. Martin's Press through Netgalley
I suppose we're all familiar, if not with Cyrano de Bergerac's actual life (which is very entertaining, since he was actually gay, and involved in love affairs with other gentlemen authors, and when these ended badly they published works vilifying the other, there were death threats, daring escapes, and all the entertaining things which populated the lives of libertines), then with Edmond Rostand's play about his love for Roxane and how he wooed her on behalf of the handsome Neuvillette.
The Unexpected Duchess starts with a twist to the Cyrano the Bergerac play: Lucy is determined that her friend Cassandra won't have to marry the Duke of Claringdon. Not only because Cass in being pressured by her mother to accept his attentions, but also because she's in love with another gentleman - the gentleman, in fact, who believing he wouldn't survive the battle, made Derek promise to marry Cass.
I liked Lucy from the very start. Her motto is: "Be bold!"
And she's a very good friend. You can never go wrong if you write ladies being supportive of their lady friends, believing in them, wanting the best for them. I don't understand why this is so rarely portrayed in books...
Lucy, Cass, and Jane each have different strengths and, as Lucy points out:
“We all must help one another. Help one another to get what we want. We’ll each do the thing the others cannot do and assist one another.”
Lady friendships!! Yes!!!
Not only that but the blurb isn't lying: Lucy does have a sharp tongue. She's very witty and a delight to read from the very first page:
(...) the lady had a rapier for a tongue. She jabbed with nouns, riposted with verbs. And she delivered adjectives with a particular flourish. By all accounts, she was a master. One who could rip an overzealous beau to shreds in mere seconds.
So when Cass meets the duke in the garden, Lucy is behind a hedgerow telling her exactly how to turn him off from the prospect of marrying her... until she's found.
Derek and Lucy's confrontations are very amusing. Neither of them backs down from the challenge.
Lucy is just delightful - she's very, very clear on the importance of consent:
“Mean? Mean? Cass, the man is trying to court you and refuses to take no for an answer and you’re worried about being mean?”
I'm so, so glad consent isn't being treated lightly!
Sadly, the drama in this book dragged for too long.
I like my HR to be either realistic (in which case it has free reign to bring out the drama), or light-hearted (in which case I'm reading to be amused). But a light-hearted HR with drama that just drags and drags... and then seems resolved, but wait no, but then again yes, but no again... and so on, and on...
It became silly, and tedious - this book has nearly 400 pages, and it would have been better served by cutting about 200 pages of needless drama, more fitting of a soap-opera than a well-researched (and it was!) HR.
I suppose the next book will be about Cass and her beloved Julian - I find Cass sweet, but so shy... and Julian... I didn't much care for him, I don't really find it appropriate to make your friends promise you on your deathbed to marry someone they've never met. Surely a nice person would make a friend promise to try and be happy, to enjoy the life you wouldn't be able to enjoy...
I still am going to read it, because Bowman got me hooked, and I must admit I really am looking forward to Jane and Garrett's book - that is... I hope they'll have one!
So, with one single book, I'm convinced to read the whole series, for all my complaining, and knowing how hard I am to please, this is definitely a book worth reading.
May 6, 2014
An Awe-Inspiring Timothy Toad Alert!
Once again I seem to be in the minority in my disappointment with a book. This time it happens to be The Unexpected Duchess by Valerie Bowman. Let's analyze what happened, shall we? I picked two books this month just because I'd never read the authors before. I was actually looking forward to this one quite a lot, having read many wonderful things about it... and it happens to be one of my favorite types - comedy. I love books that can make me smile, I love to laugh and chuckle and wipe the yuck-yuck tears from my eyes. Imagine my glee when the first couple of pages had me guffawing right out loud. The introduction of our heroine (Lucy) behind a bush feeding lines to her shy friend (Cass) was priceless. But what made it even better was it was written in such a way that I had no trouble visualizing the scene. Was it a parody of Cyrano? Sure it was, but unlike the Cyrano narrative, the victim (our hero) figures out pretty quickly that the voice he's hearing is not the one he wants to hear. So, I was rubbing my hands together ready for more chortles. If only the comedy had been allowed to flow without interference.
I was having a good time reading The Unexpected Duchess until I started noticing that Lucy was really a rude person. Not a rude person in the manner of Elizabeth Bennet, but more along the lines of Housewives of New Atlanta-York-Mafia-Wife-Amish-Idiot-why-are-we-watching-these-horrible-people reality shows.
Here's the plot, sort of. Derek has promised his dying friend, Swift, that he will marry Cass. There is a slight problem with that - Cass has luved Julian forever, but she is too shy to let Julian know. But that doesn't really matter because Julian is engaged to her cousin, the self-centered Penelope, which is a problem, but that may not be a problem because Julian is off fighting in the war and hasn't responded to anyone’s mail. Oh dear, what will Cass do? Well, Cass won't do anything because she's shy. However, her two friends Lucy the rude, blunt girl, and Jane the standard bluestocking girl, are there to help her. With Cass' permission Lucy manages to insert herself into every opportunity that Derek manages to create. Of course Derek is attracted to the feisty pushy Lucy, he just doesn't admit it. Derek must resist temptation, he must because he is an honorable man and we know that because he is honoring his friend's dying wish. Too bad Lucy doesn't know Derek is honoring his dying friend's last wish, I bet she'd leave him alone to court poor shy Cass who is worried about her missing in battle forever luv Julian.
And now a word from Derek's brother Collin: Our brother Adam, along with Donald, Swift's brother, and Rafe have disappeared in France. Collin is off to find them. Derek wishes he could go but he must honor Swift's dying wish.
Back to the wish fulfillment. He must marry Cass, but he wants Lucy, really wants her and she wants him, but she can't do that to Cass... What's a girl to do, what's a guy to do? Why, challenge each other to a duel... a witty dialogue duel... at a ball... in front of the cream of society... just like Cyrano's witty put downs. It was at this point I groaned, never been a big fan of those public witticisms. I find them embarrassing to watch and read. They are one of the many things I don't like about the original story of Cyrano, but I thought maybe there wouldn't be too many. Twenty, oh no not twenty! That's how many clever things Derek had to come up with to win his bet. At the ball. In front of people.
And now a word from Derek's brother Collin. He has found Adam, but not Donald or Rafe. Derek wishes he could be there with him, but he can't because he must honor his promise to marry someone he doesn't care anything about. Spoilers ahead.
So one day while Lucy and Derek are yammering at each other she mentions the fact that Cass is in luv with Julian. Julian! Wait! You don't mean Julian Swift do you? My dying friend, the one I made a promise to! Yep, that's the one. Oh, then you must marry my best friend Cass and do the honorable thing.
Let's have a talk about honor shall we. How can a hero be honorable to Julian, Cass, or even Lucy when his big over-sized fingers are busy creating roo-hoo in Lucy's wham-o-meter? Derek had a very strange idea of honor. And, so did Lucy.
Maybe if Derek can interest some other fellow in Lucy that will solve his problem. Sure it will. Yes, by golly another character is introduced so that we can have some Cyrano fake letter writing moments because this guy is a stutterer and can't write. Then we all of us are off to Brighton: Cass, Jane, Garrett (a cousin), Derek, and an aunt.
Now a word from Collin: I am bringing Adam home, but still can't find Rafe and Donald. Derek still wishes he was there, but he must marry Cass.
Now Lucy agrees, yes, Derek must marry Cass... but first let's have wild crazy sex. It was during this scene that I had one of my laughs. I don't think I was supposed to, but I just couldn't take it anymore. Between the "I want you, I want you, I want you" and the flipping I just couldn't take it anymore. There was flipping, I want you and plowing, I want you, flipping, milking, I want you and flipping, I want you. For a while I thought maybe Derek was either going to get a summer job at a farm or flip pancakes at IHOP. I do admit that Derek's Mr. Toad was mighty impressive. He lasted through a back flip, followed by a stomach flip, followed by a back flip...really talented and he wasn't once distracted by Derek's clever repeated shouting of I want you.
Now a word from Collin: Adam's home.
After the flip-flop episode there was still more to come. There's the upset parents, the Julian lives moment, the Queen moment, and the Prince moment, and the "You had me at 'Your Grace' moment." Yes, it was a Jerry Maguire, pull-me-out-of-a-historical-romance moment. If all of this book had been a slap-stick, off-the-wall farce, the movie reference wouldn't have thrown me out of the story. But it wasn't.
Here's the conundrum. The beginning of this story was funny, and I do admit that I am interested in the secondary characters of Jane, Garrett, Julian and Cass. I am tempted to read the next in the series and I probably will. However, what started out as a chuckle-filled read with two clever antagonists descended into immature behavior by a rude woman and a man with an interesting definition of honor.
KaysBlog
Once again I seem to be in the minority in my disappointment with a book. This time it happens to be The Unexpected Duchess by Valerie Bowman. Let's analyze what happened, shall we? I picked two books this month just because I'd never read the authors before. I was actually looking forward to this one quite a lot, having read many wonderful things about it... and it happens to be one of my favorite types - comedy. I love books that can make me smile, I love to laugh and chuckle and wipe the yuck-yuck tears from my eyes. Imagine my glee when the first couple of pages had me guffawing right out loud. The introduction of our heroine (Lucy) behind a bush feeding lines to her shy friend (Cass) was priceless. But what made it even better was it was written in such a way that I had no trouble visualizing the scene. Was it a parody of Cyrano? Sure it was, but unlike the Cyrano narrative, the victim (our hero) figures out pretty quickly that the voice he's hearing is not the one he wants to hear. So, I was rubbing my hands together ready for more chortles. If only the comedy had been allowed to flow without interference.
I was having a good time reading The Unexpected Duchess until I started noticing that Lucy was really a rude person. Not a rude person in the manner of Elizabeth Bennet, but more along the lines of Housewives of New Atlanta-York-Mafia-Wife-Amish-Idiot-why-are-we-watching-these-horrible-people reality shows.
Here's the plot, sort of. Derek has promised his dying friend, Swift, that he will marry Cass. There is a slight problem with that - Cass has luved Julian forever, but she is too shy to let Julian know. But that doesn't really matter because Julian is engaged to her cousin, the self-centered Penelope, which is a problem, but that may not be a problem because Julian is off fighting in the war and hasn't responded to anyone’s mail. Oh dear, what will Cass do? Well, Cass won't do anything because she's shy. However, her two friends Lucy the rude, blunt girl, and Jane the standard bluestocking girl, are there to help her. With Cass' permission Lucy manages to insert herself into every opportunity that Derek manages to create. Of course Derek is attracted to the feisty pushy Lucy, he just doesn't admit it. Derek must resist temptation, he must because he is an honorable man and we know that because he is honoring his friend's dying wish. Too bad Lucy doesn't know Derek is honoring his dying friend's last wish, I bet she'd leave him alone to court poor shy Cass who is worried about her missing in battle forever luv Julian.
And now a word from Derek's brother Collin: Our brother Adam, along with Donald, Swift's brother, and Rafe have disappeared in France. Collin is off to find them. Derek wishes he could go but he must honor Swift's dying wish.
Back to the wish fulfillment. He must marry Cass, but he wants Lucy, really wants her and she wants him, but she can't do that to Cass... What's a girl to do, what's a guy to do? Why, challenge each other to a duel... a witty dialogue duel... at a ball... in front of the cream of society... just like Cyrano's witty put downs. It was at this point I groaned, never been a big fan of those public witticisms. I find them embarrassing to watch and read. They are one of the many things I don't like about the original story of Cyrano, but I thought maybe there wouldn't be too many. Twenty, oh no not twenty! That's how many clever things Derek had to come up with to win his bet. At the ball. In front of people.
And now a word from Derek's brother Collin. He has found Adam, but not Donald or Rafe. Derek wishes he could be there with him, but he can't because he must honor his promise to marry someone he doesn't care anything about. Spoilers ahead.
So one day while Lucy and Derek are yammering at each other she mentions the fact that Cass is in luv with Julian. Julian! Wait! You don't mean Julian Swift do you? My dying friend, the one I made a promise to! Yep, that's the one. Oh, then you must marry my best friend Cass and do the honorable thing.
Let's have a talk about honor shall we. How can a hero be honorable to Julian, Cass, or even Lucy when his big over-sized fingers are busy creating roo-hoo in Lucy's wham-o-meter? Derek had a very strange idea of honor. And, so did Lucy.
Maybe if Derek can interest some other fellow in Lucy that will solve his problem. Sure it will. Yes, by golly another character is introduced so that we can have some Cyrano fake letter writing moments because this guy is a stutterer and can't write. Then we all of us are off to Brighton: Cass, Jane, Garrett (a cousin), Derek, and an aunt.
Now a word from Collin: I am bringing Adam home, but still can't find Rafe and Donald. Derek still wishes he was there, but he must marry Cass.
Now Lucy agrees, yes, Derek must marry Cass... but first let's have wild crazy sex. It was during this scene that I had one of my laughs. I don't think I was supposed to, but I just couldn't take it anymore. Between the "I want you, I want you, I want you" and the flipping I just couldn't take it anymore. There was flipping, I want you and plowing, I want you, flipping, milking, I want you and flipping, I want you. For a while I thought maybe Derek was either going to get a summer job at a farm or flip pancakes at IHOP. I do admit that Derek's Mr. Toad was mighty impressive. He lasted through a back flip, followed by a stomach flip, followed by a back flip...really talented and he wasn't once distracted by Derek's clever repeated shouting of I want you.
Now a word from Collin: Adam's home.
After the flip-flop episode there was still more to come. There's the upset parents, the Julian lives moment, the Queen moment, and the Prince moment, and the "You had me at 'Your Grace' moment." Yes, it was a Jerry Maguire, pull-me-out-of-a-historical-romance moment. If all of this book had been a slap-stick, off-the-wall farce, the movie reference wouldn't have thrown me out of the story. But it wasn't.
Here's the conundrum. The beginning of this story was funny, and I do admit that I am interested in the secondary characters of Jane, Garrett, Julian and Cass. I am tempted to read the next in the series and I probably will. However, what started out as a chuckle-filled read with two clever antagonists descended into immature behavior by a rude woman and a man with an interesting definition of honor.
KaysBlog
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2019
Don't know why this doesn't show read - I read this ages ago!
January 7, 2017
Vydavateľstvo Ikar prinieslo do našich končín novú autorku. A musím poznamenať, že veľmi talentovanú. Valerie píše len niekoľko rokov, no už má na svojom konte peknú hŕstku románov. My sa môžeme začítať do prvej knihy zo série Playful Brides.
Derek Hunt bojoval v napoleonskej vojne, no nastal čas vrátiť sa domov. Najnovším jeho poslaním je byť vojvodom. Titul získal za zásluhy a jeho prioritou je oženiť sa a splodiť dediča. Cieľ je jasný.
Na radu svojho priateľa Justina, ktorý leží na smrteľnej posteli, sa rozhodne dvoriť krásnej Cass. Hoci dievčina tajne už roky sníva o Justinovi, vie, že nikdy nebude jej. Musela by zdolať až dve prekážky - Justin má smrť na jazyku, no i keby sa vystrábil, je zasnúbený s jej sesternicou. A z toho sa nijako vykrútiť nedá. Navyše, Cass sa Dereka bojí. Vojvoda je mohutný a mocný chlap, desí ju a preto poprosí svoju kamarátku Lucy, aby jej pomohla sa ho zbaviť.
Lucy je ochotná pre svoju priateľku urobiť všetko na svete. A pomôže jej aj pri "zbavovaní sa" vojvodu. S tým je spojených mnoho humorných situácií a vtipných dialógov. Veru, už dávno som sa pri knihe takto dobre nepobavila. Slovné prestrelky medzi hrdinami sú mimoriadne pútavé, miestami ostré a, v neposlednom rade, zábavné. Zvyšok recenzie je tu: http://kokinakniznica.blogspot.sk/201...
Derek Hunt bojoval v napoleonskej vojne, no nastal čas vrátiť sa domov. Najnovším jeho poslaním je byť vojvodom. Titul získal za zásluhy a jeho prioritou je oženiť sa a splodiť dediča. Cieľ je jasný.
Na radu svojho priateľa Justina, ktorý leží na smrteľnej posteli, sa rozhodne dvoriť krásnej Cass. Hoci dievčina tajne už roky sníva o Justinovi, vie, že nikdy nebude jej. Musela by zdolať až dve prekážky - Justin má smrť na jazyku, no i keby sa vystrábil, je zasnúbený s jej sesternicou. A z toho sa nijako vykrútiť nedá. Navyše, Cass sa Dereka bojí. Vojvoda je mohutný a mocný chlap, desí ju a preto poprosí svoju kamarátku Lucy, aby jej pomohla sa ho zbaviť.
Lucy je ochotná pre svoju priateľku urobiť všetko na svete. A pomôže jej aj pri "zbavovaní sa" vojvodu. S tým je spojených mnoho humorných situácií a vtipných dialógov. Veru, už dávno som sa pri knihe takto dobre nepobavila. Slovné prestrelky medzi hrdinami sú mimoriadne pútavé, miestami ostré a, v neposlednom rade, zábavné. Zvyšok recenzie je tu: http://kokinakniznica.blogspot.sk/201...
April 26, 2018
Lady Lucy
Derrick
Derrick
November 28, 2022
Para mim, romance de época é sinónimo de leitura de conforto. As tramas, os romances, a estética, os eventos sociais… tudo isto me apaixona e deixa encantada.
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Só tinha tido contacto com este género literário ao ler Julia Quinn, e fiquei agradavelmente surpreendida com esta autora. Tanto é que já ataquei os volumes seguintes 🤭
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Este livro fala-nos sobre Lucy, uma mulher assertiva, inteligente e sem papas na língua. Nunca deixa nada por dizer nem por fazer. Lucy é a melhor amiga de Cassandra e está disposta a ajudá-la a todo o custo. O duque de Claringdon quer cortejar Cassandra de maneira a fazer dela a sua esposa. Mas Cassandra não quer nada com o duque pois está apaixonada por outro homem. Lucy entra em ação para dissuadir o duque da sua ideia de se casar com a sua melhor amiga. Mas… será que vai ser bem sucedida?
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Eu adorei este livro! É um enemies to lovers maravilhoso, com uma dose de charme e paixão no nível certo. Senti-me muito cativada por toda a trama e devorei o livro em cerca de três dias, de tão envolvida que estava.
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Este livro teve momentos caricatos e super engraçados que tornaram a leitura leve e viciante.
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Fiquei maravilhada com a Lucy, com a sua forte personalidade, com o seu sentido de lealdade para com as amigas e pela sua inteligência aguçada.
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Adorei o trio Lucy, Cass e Jane e a amizade que as unia. Três heroínas femininas bastante fortes e dedicadas.
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O romance presente neste livro foi tudo aquilo que eu queria, adorei a química presente entre o casal e só torcia pelo final feliz que eles tanto mereciam!
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Fiquei muito feliz com o desfecho deste livro, foi uma leitura que me encheu as medidas e vou sem dúvida continuar a investir neste género literário.
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Classificação: 4/5 ⭐️
https://www.instagram.com/p/CleOMzbr0...
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Só tinha tido contacto com este género literário ao ler Julia Quinn, e fiquei agradavelmente surpreendida com esta autora. Tanto é que já ataquei os volumes seguintes 🤭
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Este livro fala-nos sobre Lucy, uma mulher assertiva, inteligente e sem papas na língua. Nunca deixa nada por dizer nem por fazer. Lucy é a melhor amiga de Cassandra e está disposta a ajudá-la a todo o custo. O duque de Claringdon quer cortejar Cassandra de maneira a fazer dela a sua esposa. Mas Cassandra não quer nada com o duque pois está apaixonada por outro homem. Lucy entra em ação para dissuadir o duque da sua ideia de se casar com a sua melhor amiga. Mas… será que vai ser bem sucedida?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Eu adorei este livro! É um enemies to lovers maravilhoso, com uma dose de charme e paixão no nível certo. Senti-me muito cativada por toda a trama e devorei o livro em cerca de três dias, de tão envolvida que estava.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Este livro teve momentos caricatos e super engraçados que tornaram a leitura leve e viciante.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Fiquei maravilhada com a Lucy, com a sua forte personalidade, com o seu sentido de lealdade para com as amigas e pela sua inteligência aguçada.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Adorei o trio Lucy, Cass e Jane e a amizade que as unia. Três heroínas femininas bastante fortes e dedicadas.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
O romance presente neste livro foi tudo aquilo que eu queria, adorei a química presente entre o casal e só torcia pelo final feliz que eles tanto mereciam!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Fiquei muito feliz com o desfecho deste livro, foi uma leitura que me encheu as medidas e vou sem dúvida continuar a investir neste género literário.
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Classificação: 4/5 ⭐️
https://www.instagram.com/p/CleOMzbr0...
September 10, 2020
Ducesa din întâmplare este o carte amuzantă, o poveste de dragoste simpatică, pe care am citit-o cu plăcere.
Dialogurile sunt delicioase. Lucy m-a cucerit din prima clipa, cu firea-i zburdalnica si limba-i ascuțită. Cass si Jane mi s-au parut a fi tipul ideal de prietene. De fapt, tot acest trio mi-a plăcut. Toate pentru una si una pentru toate.
Cartea se citeste repede, e scrisă lejer, nepretentios, iar povestea m-a prins destul de repede. A fost o lectură relaxanta. O recomand celor care simt nevoia să evadeze în Londra sec 18, printre duci si ducese, rochii de bal si iubiri sincere. Ii dau 4 stele.
Dialogurile sunt delicioase. Lucy m-a cucerit din prima clipa, cu firea-i zburdalnica si limba-i ascuțită. Cass si Jane mi s-au parut a fi tipul ideal de prietene. De fapt, tot acest trio mi-a plăcut. Toate pentru una si una pentru toate.
Cartea se citeste repede, e scrisă lejer, nepretentios, iar povestea m-a prins destul de repede. A fost o lectură relaxanta. O recomand celor care simt nevoia să evadeze în Londra sec 18, printre duci si ducese, rochii de bal si iubiri sincere. Ii dau 4 stele.
January 1, 2021
The Unexpected Duchess
5 Stars
Home from the Napoleanic Wars, the newly minted Duke of Clarendon, Derek Hunt, wants nothing more than to settle down with a sweet woman by his side. Calm and shy Lady Cassandra Monroe seems the perfect choice. Unfortunately, Lady Lucy Upton, Cass's best friend and the woman with the wickedest tongue in the ton has other ideas. Soon Derek and Lucy are trading barbs and banter, and Derek begins to suspect that perhaps a quiet life is not in the cards for him after all.
An absolutely delightful read that merges elements from William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac.
In addition to their scintillating banter and exceptional chemistry, Derek and Lucy are truly likable characters. Derek is a man of integrity determined to keep his solemn promise while Lucy is a truly good person and a loyal friend. Both struggle to put aside their intense attraction and personal desires in order to do what is right even if it means sacrificing their own happiness.
The secondary characters are just as compelling and I look forward to continuing the series, which focuses on Lucy's friends and Derek's comrades in arms.
5 Stars
Home from the Napoleanic Wars, the newly minted Duke of Clarendon, Derek Hunt, wants nothing more than to settle down with a sweet woman by his side. Calm and shy Lady Cassandra Monroe seems the perfect choice. Unfortunately, Lady Lucy Upton, Cass's best friend and the woman with the wickedest tongue in the ton has other ideas. Soon Derek and Lucy are trading barbs and banter, and Derek begins to suspect that perhaps a quiet life is not in the cards for him after all.
An absolutely delightful read that merges elements from William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac.
In addition to their scintillating banter and exceptional chemistry, Derek and Lucy are truly likable characters. Derek is a man of integrity determined to keep his solemn promise while Lucy is a truly good person and a loyal friend. Both struggle to put aside their intense attraction and personal desires in order to do what is right even if it means sacrificing their own happiness.
The secondary characters are just as compelling and I look forward to continuing the series, which focuses on Lucy's friends and Derek's comrades in arms.
April 28, 2014
It’s always nice when an author can surprise you. I was underwhelmed by Valerie Bowman’s debut story and have dragged my feet in reading any of the follow-up books. However the description for this book was just too tempting to resist and I had to give her a second chance. Oh, how things have changed for the better!
The play Cyrano de Bergerac was the inspiration for this story but the author put her own stamp on it by changing up the cues from the original. Lady Lucy Upton may start out with a sharp tongue and wit, but the object of her affections Lord Claringdon is no slouch when it comes to intelligence and wordplay. Their earliest scenes of one-on-one conversation (or battles) can be both playful and cutting, yet to the reader there is always the sense from both parties that they are completely enjoying the interaction. One of my favorite scenes was Derek’s take on the challenge to create better responses to Lucy’s rather pedestrian answer to his offer of a dance. In that one moment we can see the potential of their relationship through an admiration of the other’s strengths as well as how they can test each other to the limits.
I loved how Derek and Lucy come to find that love can throw a wrench into the most orderly of plans. I enjoyed how each character had to reassess the traits they had always thought were their strengths and how they had become their greatest weaknesses, such as Derek’s decisiveness and Lucy’s forthrightness. There was growth for both of them as they looked at themselves, their friendships and loyalties, as well as their plans for the future and found they were willing to take risks and to change for the better. I really loved how they came together in the end, especially with a small revisit to an earlier moment that was special between them.
The twists and turns of the courtship as well as the influences from helpful friends to the relationship did get a little overly-complicated (almost like a farce) which stretched the final happy ever after out a bit farther than I wanted. There was also the confusion over why Derek’s friend Julian would use his deathbed to insist on Derek marrying Lady Cassandra over wanting to protect his own sort-of betrothed. This set-up, while necessary to get everything in motion between Lucy-Derek-Cassandra, just seemed too convenient and weird when Cass won’t entertain a courtship with an eligible man but knows there is no hope for her unrequited love (who could be dying and would be even farther away from marriage then). If Ms. Bowman was trying to avoid the traps of a Love Triangle by keeping Cass firmly on the outside it wasn’t an organic way of doing it. This difficulty is what kept me from giving the book five stars.
Now knowing just how entertaining a writer Valerie Bowman has become I am greatly looking forward to the next book, with the Lazarus like return of Julian Swift and the complications of Cassandra’s undying love for him.
The play Cyrano de Bergerac was the inspiration for this story but the author put her own stamp on it by changing up the cues from the original. Lady Lucy Upton may start out with a sharp tongue and wit, but the object of her affections Lord Claringdon is no slouch when it comes to intelligence and wordplay. Their earliest scenes of one-on-one conversation (or battles) can be both playful and cutting, yet to the reader there is always the sense from both parties that they are completely enjoying the interaction. One of my favorite scenes was Derek’s take on the challenge to create better responses to Lucy’s rather pedestrian answer to his offer of a dance. In that one moment we can see the potential of their relationship through an admiration of the other’s strengths as well as how they can test each other to the limits.
I loved how Derek and Lucy come to find that love can throw a wrench into the most orderly of plans. I enjoyed how each character had to reassess the traits they had always thought were their strengths and how they had become their greatest weaknesses, such as Derek’s decisiveness and Lucy’s forthrightness. There was growth for both of them as they looked at themselves, their friendships and loyalties, as well as their plans for the future and found they were willing to take risks and to change for the better. I really loved how they came together in the end, especially with a small revisit to an earlier moment that was special between them.
The twists and turns of the courtship as well as the influences from helpful friends to the relationship did get a little overly-complicated (almost like a farce) which stretched the final happy ever after out a bit farther than I wanted. There was also the confusion over why Derek’s friend Julian would use his deathbed to insist on Derek marrying Lady Cassandra over wanting to protect his own sort-of betrothed. This set-up, while necessary to get everything in motion between Lucy-Derek-Cassandra, just seemed too convenient and weird when Cass won’t entertain a courtship with an eligible man but knows there is no hope for her unrequited love (who could be dying and would be even farther away from marriage then). If Ms. Bowman was trying to avoid the traps of a Love Triangle by keeping Cass firmly on the outside it wasn’t an organic way of doing it. This difficulty is what kept me from giving the book five stars.
Now knowing just how entertaining a writer Valerie Bowman has become I am greatly looking forward to the next book, with the Lazarus like return of Julian Swift and the complications of Cassandra’s undying love for him.
May 13, 2014
The Unexpected Duchess (Playful Brides #1)
By: Valerie Bowman
narrated by: Alison Larkin
Valerie Bowman is brilliant in this comical, powerful, heart clenching romance. It would be difficult to find a heroine anywhere with as much wit and cleverness as Lady Lucy Upton. Renowned for scaring the gents of the ton with her quick ton, Lucy finds herself alone without a prospect as the more marriageable ladies are swept up. At least she has her two best friends – the very bookish blue stocking Jane and the demur classical beauty Cass who is quiet in love with a man already promised to her cousin. The band of wallflowers vows to watch out for each other and to pool their resources to ensure happy futures for each of them.
When Lord Derek Hunt promises his dying friend that he will marry Cass, he knows that nothing will stand in his way from keeping his promise. Nicknamed the Duke of Decisiveness, once Derek makes up his mind no force in nature can thwart his path. He’s won battles, lead troops, and faced unsurmountable odds and came out on top, earning himself the title of Duke.
Cass just can’t imagine marrying the tall, handsome, intimidating Duke. Not when she is madly in love with Julian! She has loved him since they were small children and she vows to wait for his return from war, even if he is promised to her cousin. Too shy to push back on the Duke’s advances, she does the only thing she can think of and asks Lucy for help. Lucy has never met a man she could not beat in a match of wits.
For a man with unstoppable determination and a miss who out banters the best of them, they have finally each met their match in the battle to win Cass. Lucy is determined to rebuke the Duke and Derek is equally determined to keep his promise to his friend. What entails is a comic battle of verbal challenges that will have even the most stoic reader laughing out loud. The chemistry is so hot the pages sizzle. The characters have depth and charm. The plot is engaging and keeps the reader glued to the pages.
Alison Larkin did an outstanding job with the narration! With the perfect hint of an accent and a flawless ability to add laughter and emotion into the dialogue, this book was a pleasure to listen to. One of the best romances I’ve read this year and a must read!
By: Valerie Bowman
narrated by: Alison Larkin
Valerie Bowman is brilliant in this comical, powerful, heart clenching romance. It would be difficult to find a heroine anywhere with as much wit and cleverness as Lady Lucy Upton. Renowned for scaring the gents of the ton with her quick ton, Lucy finds herself alone without a prospect as the more marriageable ladies are swept up. At least she has her two best friends – the very bookish blue stocking Jane and the demur classical beauty Cass who is quiet in love with a man already promised to her cousin. The band of wallflowers vows to watch out for each other and to pool their resources to ensure happy futures for each of them.
When Lord Derek Hunt promises his dying friend that he will marry Cass, he knows that nothing will stand in his way from keeping his promise. Nicknamed the Duke of Decisiveness, once Derek makes up his mind no force in nature can thwart his path. He’s won battles, lead troops, and faced unsurmountable odds and came out on top, earning himself the title of Duke.
Cass just can’t imagine marrying the tall, handsome, intimidating Duke. Not when she is madly in love with Julian! She has loved him since they were small children and she vows to wait for his return from war, even if he is promised to her cousin. Too shy to push back on the Duke’s advances, she does the only thing she can think of and asks Lucy for help. Lucy has never met a man she could not beat in a match of wits.
For a man with unstoppable determination and a miss who out banters the best of them, they have finally each met their match in the battle to win Cass. Lucy is determined to rebuke the Duke and Derek is equally determined to keep his promise to his friend. What entails is a comic battle of verbal challenges that will have even the most stoic reader laughing out loud. The chemistry is so hot the pages sizzle. The characters have depth and charm. The plot is engaging and keeps the reader glued to the pages.
Alison Larkin did an outstanding job with the narration! With the perfect hint of an accent and a flawless ability to add laughter and emotion into the dialogue, this book was a pleasure to listen to. One of the best romances I’ve read this year and a must read!
April 29, 2014
The first book in the new Playful Brides series by Valerie Bowman, one of the funniest and most charming voices in historical romance. This book features humorous themes from the play, Cyrano de Bergerac.
I wish some historical romance novels would be made into movies; the stories are so beautiful, sweet, sexy, funny, and charming. But that will never happen. This is one I think would make a wonderful movie.
Lady Lucy Upton is impulsive, direct, and often speaks before she thinks. She’s fearless in defending herself (and her friends) and she’s fiercely loyal. The ton doesn’t know that she does dream of marrying someday but knows it won’t be for love, something that has sadly eluded her since childhood. Unfortunately, she’s considered firmly on the shelf at twenty-three as she terrifies most potential suitors. Until Derek, the Duke of Claringdon comes along.
For my full review on my historical romance and history blog: http://bit.ly/1jcEnXw
I wish some historical romance novels would be made into movies; the stories are so beautiful, sweet, sexy, funny, and charming. But that will never happen. This is one I think would make a wonderful movie.
Lady Lucy Upton is impulsive, direct, and often speaks before she thinks. She’s fearless in defending herself (and her friends) and she’s fiercely loyal. The ton doesn’t know that she does dream of marrying someday but knows it won’t be for love, something that has sadly eluded her since childhood. Unfortunately, she’s considered firmly on the shelf at twenty-three as she terrifies most potential suitors. Until Derek, the Duke of Claringdon comes along.
For my full review on my historical romance and history blog: http://bit.ly/1jcEnXw
December 16, 2015
This book was soooo frustrating to read. The only parts I enjoyed were the ones with the lady friendships (we need more on HR, not just sisters!) and the parts were our otp was not exchanging barbs with each other.
By the end of the book I was so done with these two. I understand honor and friendship, but I never like noble idiocy and sacrificing oneself without having all the information! Not even Lucy's proposal at the end, which was a lovely mirror to Derek's, could save this book for me. The only reason its not getting two stars its because it had nice moments that I do not regret reading, like the interactions between friends and the hot chemistry between Jane and Garret. I'm curious about Cass' book to but not enough to go through missunderstandings and noble idiocy once again. Sorry but nope.
By the end of the book I was so done with these two. I understand honor and friendship, but I never like noble idiocy and sacrificing oneself without having all the information! Not even Lucy's proposal at the end, which was a lovely mirror to Derek's, could save this book for me. The only reason its not getting two stars its because it had nice moments that I do not regret reading, like the interactions between friends and the hot chemistry between Jane and Garret. I'm curious about Cass' book to but not enough to go through missunderstandings and noble idiocy once again. Sorry but nope.
January 16, 2016
This is the first book in the series "Playful Brides". This is a standalone book as I am reading them out of order and haven't found a problem. I enjoyed the interaction between the heroine, Lady Lucy Upton and her friends. I cannot wait to get to the next book! The hero, Duke of Claringdon is trying to make the best of a promise he made to a friend and finding it hard to ignore Lady Lucy.
August 15, 2022
This was cute. Cass is a bit annoying in the beginning. She is a simpering debutante and that just irks me. I love how the tables get turned on Lucy, and I especially love her audience with the Queen!
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September 24, 2017review em breve
December 12, 2020
Not historically accurate, but such a fun read! My favorite of hers that I've read so far.
July 9, 2023
siri play i can see you (taylor's version) (from the vault)
August 15, 2017
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