Dazzling Debutantes Book 1
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218586474-miss-ridley-and-the-duke
Annabel (our FMC) when we first meet her she engaged to be married to Richard at first she's excited about her upcoming nuptials until she finds him in the barn with one of the house maids in a somewhat compromising position (they were just kissing but it eluded to more going on), not being able to handle being married to someone who would cheat on her she demands he call off the wedding when he doesn't want to do that she goes to her father (the Baron who has spent very little time with her over the years and doesn't seem to care what happens to her he just wants the wedding to continue).
Unable to get out of the upcoming marriage and running out of time until the wedding she makes a last ditch effort to try to change her fate by going to Richard's cousin for help he is a powerful duke and if she can somehow convince him to talk his cousin out of marriage it would suit her just fine.
The Duke of Halmesbury (Philip our MMC) is in a bit of a situation himself he is a widow and since he is no longer in the mourning phase he knows he needs to seek a bride to fulfill his duty to have an heir and a spare and luck seems to be on his side he really doesn't want to go to Ton events and sort through the bubbly young ladies eager to please him for his status... Annabel has come to him for help maybe she can help him too why not a marriage of convenience... even better he will be able to take her right out from under the man that he used to be so close to (his cousin Richard) but betrayed him to the point where he can never forgive him for what he's done.
Richard of course isn't willing to give Annabel up that easily though and he sows some seeds of doubt for the true reasons his cousin was eager to wed Annabel and a big part of it has to do with revenge for something that happened in their past. Can love ever form with all these past secrets? Is the Duke still in love with his first wife leaving no room in his heart for love to grow with Annabel?
Have you ever read anything by this author? Would you recommend the rest of the series?
*Book Sirens *historical romance *closed door *Duke *Marriage of convenience *runaway bride
*Rescuing the damsel in distress *Betrayal by the betrothed *Opposites attract *drama
My thoughts on this book --> may contain spoilers:
The book starts out well with Annabel working to rescue herself as opposed to just letting a life she doesn't want happen to her. I like a take charge FMC.
I found myself frustrated with Annabel for a good portion of the book she just met the duke 10 minutes ago and she seems to expect them to be closer than they are way too quickly it's not realistic she wanted him to talk about his past with his first wife and even though he told her that the first wife was not a love match for him she dwelled on the possibility that he couldn't love her because he was still in love with the memory of his first wife this was one of the repetitive lines of thought throughout the book.
The Duke requested time to open up to her but often ran away or avoided discussions leading to the miscommunication/no communication that happens in many historical romance and frustrating the reader (me). Fairly simple and predictable plot. I didn't mind the side story with the butler and the head housekeeper who Annabel requested come with her to her new home since she was her mother figure after her own mother passed away it's nice to see others find love as well.
The middle part of the book was kind of a slog, there really wasn't much going on and it took me a bit to get through... if you can make it through that part of the book it does pick up a bit and I think I'll check out the second book to see how the next one is I did appreciate that the FMC even though she has an issue with our Duke's cousin she sees that he misses this relationship and encourages him to reconcile after some news comes to light where things that happened in their past might not be as he originally thought.
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