Historical Romance Book Club discussion

Discussion thread for the First BOTM of December 2020. Please remember to use the spoiler tags when necessary! (Please see 'some html is ok' for instructions.)

Happy Reading!


How to Forget a Duke by Vivienne Lorret

The Bourne Matrimonial Agency has one rule: Never fall in love with the client. A simple thing to remember...unless you’re a matchmaker with amnesia.

The Duke of Rydstrom needs a wife. Preferably one with a large fortune and a complete lack of curiosity. The last thing he needs is a meddling matchmaker determined to dig up his dark family secrets.

All Jacinda wants is to find a bride for a duke. How hard could that be? He’s handsome, enigmatic...and hiding something. She’s sure of it. Determined to discover what it is, she travels to his crumbling cliffside estate. Yet, by the time she washes up on his beach, she can no longer remember who she is or why the duke is so familiar to her. All she knows is that his kisses are unforgettable—and she intends to use every skill she can to discover what’s in his heart.

When Miss Bourne can’t remember what brought her to his ancestral home, Rydstrom intends to keep it that way. Yet as the days pass, his true challenge will be safeguarding his secret while resisting this woman who—confound it all—may well be his perfect match.

OK - so I started this one a few hours early, as I spotted it at the library and nabbed it. I have just read Part 1 (chapers 1-4) and the beginning of Part 2 (half way through chapter 5).

First impressions - I do not like the heroine. She is pushy and opinionated. I also found the conversation between the heroine and the Duke in the first chapter inane. However I quite like the Duke - even though we have seen very little of him. He is intriguing, and I like intrigue. I also like the setting in Part 2 - the crumbling cliffside estate fulfils my gothic sentiments.

Now that (view spoiler)[that the heroine has amenesia (hide spoiler)] I am hoping I will like her better.

While I was not hopeful for this book when reading Part 1, Part 2 is giving me a better vibe. Onwards I go.

I am through chapter 7. Like Susan, I wasn't really sure about the story in part 1. Part 2 is looking up.

However, as far as character tastes are concerned, I am the opposite.

I like Jacinda even though she is pushy. Due to her own mom's unhappiness, she really cares about matching people who she thinks could care about each other. She isn't just about the money, though she and her sisters truly need it. I do find it ironic that she values honesty in others but personally commits subterfuge. (view spoiler)[I like that even after she lost her memory, her personality and thought processes are the same as before. (hide spoiler)]

In spite of the intriguing mystery surrounding our gothic hero, I do not care for the Duke of Rydstrom yet, although he has potential. He is all about the money and plans to never bring his future wife to his estate, hoping he won't have to spend any time with her.

I think (view spoiler)[Sybil is his illegitimate daughter. We'll see. (hide spoiler)]

Hahaha, I guess I’m the odd one. 😁 I’m really enjoying this book. I’ve never read this author before now. I find myself laughing out loud at the heroine’s missteps, and I love a hero that is completely perplexed by his feelings for the heroine. I also like that the heroine’s mother gave each of her daughters a section of Emma by Jane Austin upon their birth, which I believe ties in to their individual personalities. I’m looking forward to reading the other two books as well.

I won't be joining this BOTM. I've read a few books by this author before and I've always ended up disappointed.

Darbella wrote: "Melissa, I am enjoying this one too. I, too, love that mom gave each daughter a special section of Emma.
Missy, I checked my bookshelf on Goodreads. It looks like I have read at least two of this a..."

Darbella, I agree with your favorite thing so far. It is mine as well.

I've only read another two and a half chapters, but I now know my guess about Sybil was wrong.

Darbella wrote: "Mariana, your guess was awesome. It could have went that way. I am happy though that [spoilers removed]"

I hope not, but I don't really think it will. There are more mysteries I look forward to uncovering - his history, parents, etc.

well, I took the book out of my library yesterday to start reading it, got distracted by life and now I can't find it anywhere. Considering I have a four and a two year old who constantly move stuff around to surprising places, I may find it tomorrow or next year. Keep your fingers crossed for me to discover the secret hiding spot before the month is over.

OK, so I persisted and finished the book today. Jacinda continued to annoy me for about two thirds of the book, and then I think she mellowed. She became more aware of her own flaws, which made her more likeable. While I resisted the temptation to DNF for the first two thirds, I enjoyed the last third.

What did I like? I liked the way all of the villagers and servants manipulated the Duke and wanted Jacinda as their Duchess. (view spoiler)[for example, when they pretended that all the the rooms were leaking so that he had to put Jacinda in the Duchesses bedroom. I also liked that "horrible Hortense" came around in the end. I also believed in the romance in the end (hide spoiler)]

What I did not like - obviously the heroine for much of the book (she came around, but a little too late for me). The amnesia plot was somewhat contrived and unbelievable.

I agree with Darbella that Jacinda will be a great feature as a meddlesome sister in future books.

I have not read any books by Vivienne Lorret before. Can anyone advise whether this type of heroine is typical of here style? If not, I would consider reading more of her books.

Ana wrote: "well, I took the book out of my library yesterday to start reading it, got distracted by life and now I can't find it anywhere. Considering I have a four and a two year old who constantly move stuf..."

Oh, I've been there. (Maximum rechecks before finding.) Good luck!

I had some time today while waiting for excel to respond, so I also finished.

Overall, I liked it, especially the setting and secondary characters but not enough to continue with the series.

I have only read one other book by Vivienne Lorret - Winning Miss Wakefield - and only because I happened across it at the library. I liked it also but not enough to read that series either. It wasn't too memorable, but I think that heroine was much different - meek rather than headstrong.

I finished the book. I gave it 4 stars. I’m going on to book 2. I kinda wanted Jacinda’s uncle who writes poetry and loves Love to get with Crispan’s Aunt. Now, that would have been a side story with some laughs. Personally, I think Aunt Hortense is just a marshmallow under all her bluster.

Melissa wrote: "I finished the book. I gave it 4 stars. I’m going on to book 2. I kinda wanted Jacinda’s uncle who writes poetry and loves Love to get with Crispan’s Aunt. Now, that would have been a side story wi..."

Oh, yeah, that would have been good!

Hey, guys! I'm going to download the sample of this tonight. I will let you know if I decide to read!

Well, I found the book and so far I am so annoyed at Jacinda I can't even... And I am slightly pissed at the author because I've read her latest and guess what? The hero and heroine meet when she breaks and enters somewhere she wasn't supposed to. That heroine is supposedly very smart and highly inquisitive but keeps doing idiotic things. I have a feeling it's somewhat the same with Jacinda through this book. So I am going to take a deep breath and leave it be for a while, start on the other BOTM because right now I think I'd only be looking for the negative aspects.

Unfortunately I have dnf’d this one. The heroine is too unlikable. Her constant (view spoiler)[lying (hide spoiler)] turned me right off. I will nevertheless give the author another try.

Lauren wrote: "Unfortunately I have dnf’d this one. The heroine is too unlikable. Her constant [spoilers removed] turned me right off. I will nevertheless give the author another try."

Sorry Lauren! Understandable. How far did you make it?

I am about a third of the way through listening, and it is ok. But I think I wouldn’t make it too far reading.

Joanna Loves Reading: “Sorry Lauren! Understandable. How far did you make it?
First chapter in part 2. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.

I’m starting Taken by the Night instead :)

I finished listening to this. I give it a 3 star rating. It exceeded my expectations because I didn’t really have this author on my radar. I would read more because I particularly liked that her characters stayed true to character, even though Jacinda was a bit much. I also thought the attraction and sexy times well written.

I did find the prose to be on the purple side. Seemed like there were lots of extra descriptors at times. That’s not a style I prefer but it seemed to flow well enough.

The plot was probably the biggest downside for me. From the beginning, it took quite a bit of suspension of belief. A lot of why questions and “not credible” thoughts running as I started. I just decided to go with the flow though. Sometimes a crazy plot suits my mood.