Veena’s review of A Duke Never Tells by Suzanne Enoch
Historical Romance published by Bramble 01 Apr 25
What a delightful comedy of errors!
Poor Meg, she was so looking forward to her season in London. Instead, her father betroths her to a profligate heir to a dukedom. Unfortunately, before she can make her way to London, the old duke dies, and she’s forced into mourning for a full year. Now her marriage is fast approaching, and she’s never even met her fiancé. So, she concocts a plan with her free-thinking aunt to go check out the duke and his estate.
The estate has been neglected due to a standoff between father and son, despite a very caring estate manager doing his best. Knowing that he’s to shortly be married at his estate, the duke finally comes home. He answers the door to two ladies in his shirt sleeves and is promptly mistaken for the butler. Therein begins an absolutely delightful hoax, the butler and the maid (the true duke and his lady) and the duke and the lady (the estate manager and Meg’s aunt). As the romance unfolds and each one ponders their future, it makes for a pretty sparkling story.
I have always enjoyed Ms. Enoch’s books, finding myself often laughing aloud to the consternation of people around me, should I be reading in public. This one is no exception, though I did find it a bit slow in places.
Grade: B
Summary:
Before entering into a supremely advantageous arranged marriage with James Clay, the new Duke of Earnhurst, clever, independent Lady Meg Pinwell has to see if he’s really the rake he’s rumored to be. But how is a well-bred young lady going to make sure he’s the man she wants?
With the help of her Aunt Clara, they plan some discreet reconnaissance at the Duke’s country estate. Meg will pretend to be her aunt’s maid/companion to see the true state of affairs at Earnhurst Manor.
But Meg isn’t the only one pretending to be someone she isn’t: In order to escape Clara (who is surely a marriage hunter!), James has traded places with the excellent Riniken, the former Duke’s butler. Soon everyone is falling in love with the absolute wrong person! They say the course of true love never does run smooth… at Earnhurst, it’s running amuck!
