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My American Duchess
Eloisa James
Releasing on January 26, 2016
Avon Books
The arrogant Duke of Trent intends to marry a well-bred Englishwoman. The last woman he would ever consider marrying is the adventuresome Merry Pelford— an American heiress who has infamously jilted two fiancés.
But after one provocative encounter with the captivating Merry, Trent desires her more than any woman he has ever met. He is determined to have her as his wife, no matter what it takes. And Trent is a man who always gets what he wants.
The problem is, Merry is already betrothed, and the former runaway bride has vowed to make it all the way to the altar. As honor clashes with irresistible passion, Trent realizes the stakes are higher than anyone could have imagined. In his battle to save Merry and win her heart, one thing becomes clear:
All is fair in love and war.
“Happily, I am
ignorant about boils,” he said. “Are American ladies typically knowledgeable
about such matters?”
“I can’t help
recalling facts,” she confessed. “It’s a sad trial to me because it’s hard to
remember in time that they ought not to be shared.”
“Why not?”
The corners of the
man’s stern mouth had tipped upward in a most beguiling fashion. In fact, she
found herself starting to lean toward him before she caught herself.
“There are few
acceptable topics of conversation in London. It is quite wearying to try to
remember what one is allowed to discuss,” she said with some feeling.
“Bonnets, but not
boils?”
He must be something
of a rake, Merry decided. The way his eyes laughed was very alluring.
“Exactly,” she said,
nodding. “British ladies are discriminating conversationalists.”
“Don’t tell me you
have ambitions to master the art of saying nothing.”
Merry laughed. “I fear
I shall never become an expert at fashionable bibble-babble. What I truly
dislike,” she said, finding herself confiding in him for no reason other than
the fact that he seemed genuinely interested, “is that —”
She stopped, realizing
that the subject was leading her to insult his countrymen. She was still a
guest in this country, at least until she married Cedric; she should keep
unfavorable opinions to herself.
The expression in his
eyes was intoxicating, if only because no one else she’d met was interested in
the impressions that an American had of their country. She loved London, if
only for its marvelous public gardens, but there were aspects of polite society
that she found tiresome.
“It’s the way people
speak to each other,” she explained, choosing her words carefully. “They are
clever, but their cleverness so frequently seems to take the form of an
insult.”
Merry felt her cheeks
growing warm. He must think her a complete simpleton. “It’s not that I don’t
appreciate a witticism. But so very many remarks come at someone’s expense.”
He frowned at that.
“Such people talk nothing but nonsense, and you should ignore them,” he
ordered.
“Indeed, I am learning
both to modify my subjects of conversation and to control my temper.”
“Admirable goals.
Though I believe I’d like to see you in a passion.”
“You may mock me if
you like, sir, but I can tell you that it is perishingly difficult for an
American to transform herself into the perfect English lady! You should try
it.”
He had a very
appealing dent in his cheek when he smiled. “I’m quite sure I would fail. For
one thing, I wouldn’t look anywhere near as appealing in a gown as you do.”
Trent and Merry seemed like the perfect match from the moment they met. Of course, she was engaged to his twin brother Cedric at the time, but neither knew each other's identity. As Merry moves forward with wedding plans, she discovers that she is not really in love with Cedric. With two broken engagements behind her, she does not want to end engagement to Cedric, but she cannot also get married to a man that she does not love and is not the man she thought he was. Trent tried to stay away from Merry, but he cannot help but want her for himself. I don't want to spoil anything, but things get complicated and Trent and Merry get a chance to explore their feelings. What starts out as a friendship between them ends up being more than either of them bargained for. I loved this couple and the progress of their relationship. There was a bit of humor and heartbreak that had me glued to my e-reader from the moment I started. Cedric was a bit hateful, but by the end I was hoping that he will get him own story. Highly recommended to historical romance lovers.
I received an ARC via Edelweiss for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review, all conclusions are my own.
A New York Times bestselling author, Eloisa James is a professor of English literature who lives with her family in New York, but who can sometimes be found in Paris or Italy. (Her husband is a honest to goodness Italian knight!) Eloisa’s website offers short stories, extra chapters, and even a guide to shopping in Florence. Visit her at www.eloisajames.com.
Lovely review. Thank you for hosting MY AMERICAN DUCHESS today!
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