I actually REALLY liked this, except that I thought the ending was a bit rushed and not quite up to the vim and sparkle of the rest.
It is also the sixth book in a series, but the blurbs of the former five books weren’t giving and so I figured I could probably pick up on the nuances therein. Also, this is a PRIDE AND PREJUDICE retelling so you know I was all in and not going to have the patience to read five other non-P&P-retellings before getting to this one.
So it should surprise no one that we’ve got our typical characters in this go around: a fiesty, vivacious but lower class Christine Derrick, the former Vicountess or some such who is happily widowed these past two years and therefore capable of some frolicing without permanent injury. And then the Duke of Bewcastle, also known as Wulfric because someone’s parents really hated him, who finds himself at first utterly dismissive and then utterly besotted with Ms. Christine.
Which, of course, he expresses via a request that she become his mistress, his prior one having just passed away after 10 very pleasant, unfussy years. And when she says no he asked her again, and things don’t go much better that second time.
The first part of this book takes place in a closed set, so to speak, at a two week house party that Duke Wulf impulsively says yes to and then proceeds to regret for ages. And then the second bit, the groveling bit, takes place in a more expansive set (is it London? I can’t really remember to be honest, it all sort of blends together after a while). Wulf must of course demonstrate that he has learnt the error of his ways and realizes that Christine is his only true equal, and you’d think that they’d teach young Dukelings that their perfect matches are always going to be the ones with the twinkling eyes to save everyone the trouble.
Was this as good as Austen well of course not, Austen is a genius. But Balogh does a really corking good job, and I’m happy to recommend without reservations.