How Not to Marry a Duke (Daring Ladies, #2)
Tina Gabrielle
**Easier to read! Now with larger print!** From the moment her pet pig attacks him, Adeline Foster knows she does not care at all for the Duke of Warwick. Certainly the man is handsome, but such an arrogant arse. But when her scoundrel half brother demands she marry a stranger over a failed investment, the duke does something shocking…he announces he’s courting her. One moment, Daniel Millstone is enjoying tinkering with his inventions in his quiet country home with relative anonymity. The next, he’s courting the willful Miss Adeline. It might have begun as a way to vex her half brother―his childhood nemesis―but her striking beauty and kissable lips prove an irresistible temptation. Now Adeline and her faux beau must convince the ton and their families that they’re an item. It doesn’t matter if they can barely tolerate each other. It doesn’t matter that scandal is only a touch away. Because if this charade doesn’t work, Adeline will find herself in dangerous hands… Each book in the Daring Ladies series is * One Night with an Earl * How Not to Marry a Duke
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3/5. Releases 4/25/2023.
For when you're vibing with... lighthearted historical romance, a healer heroine, a nerdy hero, and cute animals.
When Daniel Millstone, the Duke of Warwick, meets Adeline Foster, it's dislike at first sight. But Daniel needs a wife--or at least the appearance that he's seeking one. And Adeline's loathsome brother is about to force her to marry a man she doesn't want. The solution? Pretend that they're courting, of course! Who cares that they can't stand each other? It's FINE.
This is a cute, light historical romance. My problem is that those can be hard sells for me, so I'm not sure I was the right reader for this one. However, I can see this working for Bridgerton fans--except, it's much better than that.
Quick Takes:
--I tend to hate the "for fans of Bridgerton" mess historical romance marketing has become. But in this case, it's true. There's a fun frothiness to Gabrielle's writing style, an inherent romcom vibe to the setting, the quirks of the characters, the pets running around. However, Adeline's mother was from Egypt, and the author (who I understand has a similar background) actually incorporates this into Adeline's character. She has another Egyptian character; Adeline's privilege as someone who lighter-skinned than this character is acknowledged. It's not treated as like, this exotic fetishistic THING, but just a fact of who Adeline is and where her mother came from. It feels much more real and tangible.
--What I struggled with is that everything happens very quickly. These two have one mildly bad encounter, during which he's super into her physical appearance, and then the narrative is like "they hate each other". Really? After that quick, mildly bad encounter? It felt a bit forced, and while the characters were nice, I just didn't feel much... oomph. I needed more drama, and just more in general.
--Adeline is an aspiring healer, and that's something I did find interesting and compelling. The thing is that it made her much more compelling than her hero. Daniel just didn't rise to her standards, for me. He was nice. It was just too nice for me.
The Sex Stuff:
There were a few different sex scenes--and they're explicit, if not over the top (kind of standard quick, semi-flowery historical romance sex scenes). One encounter--or attempted encounter--was interrupted by a man who needed help with his wife's delivery, which... I don't know about all that.
I totally see an audience for this book, and I think it was well-done. I'm just not the audience.
Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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