Sandy M’s review of Duke Pretender by Sharon Lanergan
Historical Romance ebook published by Cerridwen Press 26 Jun 08
I started out liking this book. Unfortunately, this is one of those books where it doesn’t take long for all the little things that irritate you to add up and nearly spoil the entire story. If there had been but a few of those, it wouldn’t have been so bad, of course. But there’s just too many to overlook, too many that send the majority of your enjoyment right out the window.
The premise of mistaken identity isn’t a new one, especially when it comes to a second son impersonating his older brother, the duke. In this case it’s the heroine, Angela, who makes the mistake of thinking the gentleman she’s just met is the Duke of Stratford. She’s the vicar’s daughter from Lower Pennington, a small village that no one in London has ever heard of. When her father is taken ill, Angela travels to the city to do a little of his charity work on the docks and while there runs into the usual ruffians.
It’s Jack Thorndike who comes to her rescue and she’s immediately smitten with him. Fortuitously Jack losses a glove in her carriage when dropping him off at home, a large mansion on the really good side of town, which only cements her erroneous thoughts of his rank in society. Returning his glove a week later, Angela is more than sure this man is the one for her.
This is the first little something that just didn’t ring true in the story for me. Angela is a vicar’s daughter. She’s been up brought up more chaste than any other debutante in the country. But she comes on to Jack like she’s done it numerous times before. Even if it is love at first sight for her, this is just a little too much, especially considering she’s only met the man twice in a week’s time. She shouldn’t even know how to come on to him, let alone actually do it.
This happens several times throughout the book, one of which Jack finally tells her she’s not the woman for him because he believes she deserves better than the likes of him. At this point another of those little details pops up. They go back and forth between being angry at one another because of the current situation to moon-eyed and in lust in the blink of an eye. There was just too much ping-ponging going on in too short a time span to make it believable and it ended up sounding silly than anything else.
Jack is the best part of the story. Although he keeps saying he’s going to tell Angela the truth, something comes up and he gets sidetracked, pulled into the lives of the folks in Lower Pennington. (They called it LP and for some reason that just plain irked me.) Jack has always been compared to his drunk of a father, a man no one liked, so he’s of the belief if he’s going to have to live with the accusations he might as well live the life. He’s not a total rake, but he’s had his fun.
Thus, because he so admires his older brother, Simon, hero of Duke’s Project, he basks in the respect and kindness of those calling him Your Grace. He has every intention of telling the truth to everyone, not just Angela, and then hightailing back to London, but he becomes so ensconced in their lives – and finds that’s exactly what he’s been looking for — that he just can’t get the word out whenever he tries. We know, of course, eventually the truth will come out and not when he wants it to, and this is when he realizes he’s made the biggest mistake of his life and he’s going to lose Angela. Personally, I don’t think Angela deserves Jack. I do have to give her kudos for her helpfulness and sincerity she gives her neighbors and friends, but it’s just a little too late to make her any more likable for me.
The other little details that ruined the book for me is the author’s use of words not appropriate for the situation. An example:
Jack stumbled into Mrs. Franklin. All three ladies quickly put out their gloved hands to steady him.
“Really, Your Grace, have you been drinking this morning? And on a Sunday?” Mrs. Plimpton asked primly.
“No, of course not.” Jack blinked and took a step back, out of the range of their grabbing talons. “Ladies, please. What is this about?”
These three secondary characters are respected elderly women of the village and are just concerned about Jack at this point, reaching out to steady him when he stumbles, just as anyone nearby would do. Having him take a step back so their “grabbing talons” can’t reach him makes them sound like those little old ladies who pat you death when they haven’t seen you for years — or worse. They were being kind but are made to sound predatory or something equally out of character. And this type of thing happens several times throughout the book, which forced me to stop and think about it each time and I just ended up irritated with it all.
I did like all of the secondary characters and we are given an unlikely culprit for the mystery that intrigues and envelopes the village and its occupants. I just wish Angela had been a little more demure, especially considering the backdrop for the story is 1815 England. I think Ms. Lanergan’s writing will improve over time and these kinks will be worked out. Until then, for me there’s just too many of those dreaded little details keeping this book from being a truly enjoyable read.
Grade: D+
Summary:
The endless balls and soirees have Jack Thorndike seeking adventure in the darkest parts of London, moving perilously closer to becoming the reprobate his father was. Until the daughter of a country vicar mistakes him for a duke.
Angela Ainsley believes fate intervened when Jack rescued her. If only she can convince him.
It was never Jack’s intention to pretend to be his brother, the Duke of Stratford, and when Angela invites him to her quaint village, he cannot refuse. Before he knows it, Jack purchases a home in the village. When one of the locals is murdered, Angela and the villagers look to their new neighbor, the Duke of Stratford, to investigate the crime, with Angela acting as his assistant, of course.
Now what once was an innocent omission has turned into an elaborate charade. One he is not sure he should end. If Jack admits he’s been pretending, he may lose Angela. And the feeling of belonging he never knew existed.
Read an excerpt.
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