Desperately Seeking Duke #2
“Ladies that severe must send their victims to be drawn and quartered.”
Ilsa Ramsay
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
I am a character-driven reader, and I adored how well all of the characters meshed in this book. Drew and Ilsa’s wild romp takes them all over Scotland, and it’s a fun ride the entire way.
I love how all of the characters have distinct motivations spurring their interactions and conflicts. Drew is driven to handle his unexpected inheritance to the best of his abilities and sees it as a way to take better care of his mother and sisters. On the other hand, the St. James ladies are proud of the life that they’ve built in Edinburgh and leery of the changes the English Duchy would bring to their lives. The family clearly loves each other, but they still argue and bicker.
The visit to Stormont Palace was the highlight of the book. Drew is not a hero who is immediately amazing at his new responsibilities, but he sees his duty through while enjoying time with his family, friends, and Ilsa. I appreciated that time was taken to show Drew and Ilsa becoming friends alongside diving into their blossoming romantic relationship.
The pacing works well as scenes flit from light-hearted to reminiscent and sorrowful. There is an underlying tension in the spate of robberies occurring in town that builds until it explodes in the book’s latter half. Some of the resolutions are bittersweet, but that adds to the realism.
I thoroughly enjoyed the second entry in the Desperately Seeking Duke series. It can easily be read alone, but those who have read the first book will appreciate how the interactions with the Dowager Duchess change with a different narrator.
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