Stevie‘s review of A Duke by Default (Reluctant Royals, Book 2) by Alyssa Cole
Contemporary Romance published by Avon 31 Jul 18
I was very taken with the blurb for this book, so much so that I rushed off to read the first in the series in order to find out something of who the characters are. Then I got excited all over again when I discovered that not only does this one feature blacksmithing, but the heroine is Portia, with whom I was rather taken in the first book. Portia is a trifle messed up for much of that story, but seeing her best friend settle down causes all the warnings to finally sink in, and she decides to calm down, quit drinking (for the time being at least), and find a project to which to apply herself.
Portia and her sister have led a very privileged life, allowing Portia to exist as a perpetual student and socialite, while her sister lives up to their parents’ expectations in spite of past health problems and present disabilities. Portia feels guilt both for not being more supportive of her sister when she was needed and for not being as successful at her endeavours now. This time, however, Portia has broken away from her family and her old life and has decamped to Edinburgh to train as a swordsmith. Her plan gets off to a poor start, when she breaks up a sparring match between her new boss and his sister-in-law with a can of pepper spray. Needless to say, he is not impressed.
Tavish McKenzie is the son of a refugee and an aristocrat, whose father deserted him upon inheriting the dukedom. Brought up in a multicultural family, Tav is fiercely proud of his mother, stepfather and half-brother, and wants nothing to do with his father’s family, beyond living in the rambling house in a rundown part of Edinburgh that was his only bequest from the duke. Once Portia finds out about Tav’s parentage, however, she determines to have him usurp the current duke – a distant cousin – and claim both title and estate for himself.
At this point my suspension of disbelief was shattered. I was prepared to make allowances for Tav’s father being known as the ‘Royal Duke of Edinburgh’ in spite of how many parts of that are wrong. I was mostly prepared to accept that the area of Edinburgh where events took place was called Bodotria, which, while an authentic Roman name for the Firth of Forth, does not fit in with how places around there are named. The idea that an illegitimate son can inherit not just a title, but also the trappings, was a series of steps too far. Titles pass to the nearest legitimate male relative. Estates pass to the person named in the previous owner’s will. That’s why Renishaw Hall is home to Alexandra Hayward (nee Sitwell) and her family, while her cousin, the 8th Sitwell Baronet, lives in a less impressive residence (family fallings out, don’t you just love them?).
I could have accepted a secret marriage between Tav’s parents, or someone pointing out that Portia was wrong in her assumptions, but neither plot point came to pass. A shame, because either variation on the plot would have allowed for just as much romance and intrigue as we were presented with here.
While the book failed for me, the characters were still engaging, and I’m definitely planning to continue with the series, so long as future books take place either in the US, or in invented countries, where royalty and succession can work in all kinds of ways that wouldn’t happen in the UK.
Grade: C
Summary:
New York City socialite and perpetual hot mess Portia Hobbs is tired of disappointing her family, friends, and—most importantly—herself. An apprenticeship with a struggling swordmaker in Scotland is a chance to use her expertise and discover what she’s capable of. Turns out she excels at aggravating her gruff silver fox boss…when she’s not having inappropriate fantasies about his sexy Scottish burr.
Tavish McKenzie doesn’t need a rich, spoiled American telling him how to run his armory…even if she is infuriatingly good at it. Tav tries to rebuff his apprentice—and his attraction to her—but when Portia accidentally discovers that he’s the secret son of a duke, rough-around-the-edges Tav becomes her newest makeover project.
Forging metal into weapons and armor is one thing, but when desire burns out of control and the media spotlight gets too hot to bear, can a commoner turned duke and his posh apprentice find lasting love?
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
