The Perfect Duchess by Erica Taylor ~ A Review #MondayBlogs

by MK French

Andrew Macalister stopped trusting women after his fiancee left him for the footman. There is an annual birthday ball, which he hates, but it's at one of these that he sees Lady Clara Masson, the twin sister of his former fiancee and a social outcast. Her brother Jonathan is threatening her, so Andrew proposes marriage to save her life.
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April 2018; Amberjack Publishing
978-1944995577; ebook, print (392)
regency romance

Jonathan is described as "evil" in the book's summary, but the more accurate term for it is abusive. He is dismissive of Clara, verbally threatening and demeans her whenever he can. It finally escalates to physical abuse when he throws her out of his house and hits her hard enough to bruise and to knock her into furniture, leading to a head injury. We discover more about his motivations later on in the novel, and they're no less despicable.

Andrew's marriage proposal literally saves her life, because she has nowhere else to turn to and needs a place to recover. As a duke in his own right, Andrew has a large number of siblings to maintain, a large household and various country estates. He developed a tendency to be harsh and demanding at times, a persona dubbed the Stone Duke by friends. This persona frightens Clara at times, but she had been drawn to him since they were children.

It's nice to see how Andrew and Clara's relationship develops over time. We have a large cast of siblings and friends in the Macalister circle, and Clara gets a chance to interact with almost all of them. She has a great sense of humor, especially if you are familiar with Regency England's society and mores.

I can see one sequence in particular, with all of Andrew's sisters talking with her, as if it was in a movie. There are certainly some cinematic levels of interactions and reveals for motives and a few twists along the way. Andrew and Clara do well together through these trials, and their relationship is a fun one to follow. With so many other Macalisters, I'm sure we'll see more of them in future novels as well.

Buy The Perfect Duchess at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and golden retriever. 

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