Veena’s review of The Accidental Duchess (The Fairbourne Quartet, Book 4) by Madeline Hunter
Historical Romance published by Jove 03 Jun 14
Madeline Hunter has been a long-time favorite, and while I’ve read some of the books in the series, I have to admit that I really had to search my memory for the back stories of the other supporting characters told in the other books in the series. The plot is a bit unbelievable, but if you can roll with it the story, it has some interesting twists and turns.
Lydia has loved and lost her love, unbeknownst to her family. Determined to mourn her lost love, the only spot of excitement in her life is her gambling, where she seems to have the golden touch, or perhaps it’s a case of unlucky at love….. until she’s rudely awakened by a blackmailer who’s found an old manuscript that she wrote in her youth that could compromise her if it were released in society. She comes up with an ingenious scheme to raise the money she needs by staking her virginity against the money with the Duke of Penthurst. Unfortunately, fickle lady luck deserts Lydia at that inopportune moment, leaving her without the money and potentially without her virtue once the duke claims it.
Poor Lydia, who’s constantly coming up with plans and counter plans, but it seems that nothing works in her favor, ultimately pinning her in a corner at the hands of the blackmailer. Rescue comes unexpectedly, but the price for the rescue is quite steep. She’ll have to become a duchess and give up her independence and freedom in order to maintain her name and standing in society. It is a bit amusing that Lydia is all about what she’s going to lose without one thought about what her future husband is going to lose, but then I guess he’s going to gain the joys of the marriage bed.
However, it seems that her marriage has only whetted the appetite of her blackmailer and she’s going to have to figure out how to get herself free of him. The Duke, who is on the trail of how his title and connections were once abused, finds his activities converging with Lydia’s, putting him once again in the position of her rescuer. There are some nice moments when he learns what she does with her winnings from gambling and encourages her philanthropy and then also some painful moments when he exercises his authority to control his wife’s gambling.
Ms. Hunter does an excellent job with the relationship and romance between the two of them. For the first time in a long time I look back and am not sure what I truly feel about a book. I guess I really like the author and truly want to like this book but have a hard time giving this one the unequivocal thumbs up that I’m used to when reading her books.
Grade: C
Summary:
When Lady Lydia Alfreton is blackmailed over the shocking contents of a manuscript she once wrote, she must go to the most desperate of measures to raise the money to buy back the ill-considered prose: agreeing to an old wager posed by the arrogant, dangerous Duke of Penthurst. At least Penthurst is a man she wouldn’t mind fleecing—and she’s confident she’ll win.
Penthurst long ago concluded Lydia was a woman in search of ruinous adventure, but even he is surprised when she arrives at his house ready to bet her innocence against his ten thousand pounds—a wager he only proposed to warn her off gambling.
When she loses to a simple draw of the cards, Lydia is shocked. Now, her problems are twofold: a blackmailer determined to see her pay and a duke determined to tame her rebellious ways. One misstep and Lydia could find herself ruined—or bound to the seductive man who would make her his duchess.
Other books in this series:
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