CBR 15 Bingo: Take Flight – We first encounter Rosamund as she is making her escape from her claustrophobic life, and throughout the rest of the book she finds her wings.
When Rosamund and Giles encounter each other on the road, she doesn’t know that he has just killed the Duke of Cuttyngham in a duel, and he doesn’t know that she is the Duchess. But by the time they find out, it’s too late – they’re already in love.
I really enjoy Mary Lancaster’s books because in a weird way they remind me of those old eighties bodice ripper romances – the same adventurous plots, the same rich historical setting that you usually don’t find in many current day romance novels – except no rampant misogyny or actual bodice ripping, which them easier to recommend them to your friends!
This is the first book in The Duel series, which deals with the fallout surrounding the death of the Duke of Cuttyngham apparently in a duel with a soldier; of course it’s not as simple as that, of course. It’s a bold move to romantically pair a man with the wife of the man he killed, but I really enjoyed how Lancaster let the story unfold, and believed in how they would end up together.
Giles and Rosamund make an excellent couple, and though the sex scenes fade to black I would be remiss if I did not mention the sizzling tension between the characters that we get to see on screen. The historical aspect is vivid, immersing me thoroughly in chaos of the point in time – just on the cusp of the Battle of Waterloo. I was intrigued by the supporting characters and excited to see how the dastardly villain’s schemes unfold throughout the rest of the series.
I thought the pacing towards the end stumbled a little, especially in the incident with Lord Nimmot, but that didn’t really detract from my enjoyment of the story. I’m really excited to read the next books in the series!
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.