Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC Page Count: 400 Genre: Historical Romance Published: February 9, 2021
Synopsis: The marriage game is afoot in this clever blend of My Fair Lady meets Pride and Prejudice with a twist!
Edward Stanhope, the icy Duke of Thornfield, likes his life in a certain order. Give him a strong drink, a good book, and his dog for company, and he’s content. But when he goes to his library and finds a woman sitting in his chair, petting his dog, what starts as a request for her to leave quickly turns to a fiery battle of wits, leading to a steamy kiss that could ruin them both if they were caught.
So of course, damn it all, that’s when Edward’s aunt walks in, and thereafter announces Miss Georgiana Bly is the future Duchess of Thornfield.
Georgiana was content to be a spinster, spending her days reading and working to keep her family out of debt. But now her days are spent locked away with a growly duke, learning how to be the perfect duchess, and her nights spent fighting the undeniable attraction to a man who was never meant for her.
As their wedding day approaches, the attraction between them burns hot and fierce, but is it enough to melt the duke’s chilly facade?
Miss Georgiana Bly prefers quiet reading spaces to large ballrooms, sitting alone than engaging in social gossip, and has accepted her fate as a spinster until one night, hiding away from the dancing nearby, she runs into Edward Stanhope, the cold Duke of Thornfield. Soon, they find themselves engaged in a passionate kiss that is seen by the Duke's relative. The Duke, knowing that if he fails to marry Georgiana she will be ruined, announces their engagement to the crowd. Two different people who see the world differently and come from staunchly different backgrounds, Edward and Georgiana are bound to argue, but attraction drives them to make the inevitable marriage work. I loved that this romance worked through the issues in the marriage through communication and boundaries. The steam was just right without feeling gratuitous. I appreciated the Pride and Prejudice themes -- Miss Bly is from a humble family with minimal connections to higher society, and the Duke is a refined, ultra-wealthy man who frowns upon the Bly family's eagerness to marry up. The chemistry was authentic and rarely felt cheesy. Highly recommend this romance! *I received this book in exchange from NetGalley for an honest review*
Read It Like Rory 