Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Review: Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare


Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare
Book One of the Castles Ever After series
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: January 28, 2014
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Summary (from Goodreads):

In the first in Tessa Dare's captivating Castles Ever After series, a mysterious fortress is the setting for an unlikely love . . .

As the daughter of a famed author, Isolde Ophelia Goodnight grew up on tales of brave knights and fair maidens. She never doubted romance would be in her future, too. The storybooks offered endless possibilities.

And as she grew older, Izzy crossed them off. One by one by one.

Ugly duckling turned swan?
Abducted by handsome highwayman?
Rescued from drudgery by charming prince?

No, no, and… Heh.

Now Izzy’s given up yearning for romance. She’ll settle for a roof over her head. What fairy tales are left over for an impoverished twenty-six year-old woman who’s never even been kissed?

This one.

What I Liked:

Well, here it is! My last read of 2013. And what a read it was! I finished with a historical romance novel that is sure to be a fan-favorite. I've read a few other novels by Tessa Dare, and enjoyed them immensely, so I knew I would be in good hands. I can definitely see this book becoming extremely popular within the historical romance community.

There's a castle. There's a man living in the castle. And now, there is a woman who will be living in the castle, because the castle has fallen to her hands, much to the surprise of the man. But no matter. The man is determined to figure out the legal mess, and get his castle back. The woman is determined to have her castle, since she is poor and has just about nothing left.

The man is the Duke of Rothbury - named Ransom, and the woman is Isolde, "Izzy". I'm quite sure that this story is based off Beauty and the Beast, in a sense. Except, Izzy is NOT beautiful. But she is a dreamer, a storyteller of sorts. Ransom isn't exactly a beast, though he does have a disfigurement. There is no curse though - only a strange financial and legal matter that must be fixed. But everyone LOVES Izzy - just like everyone loved Beauty.

I really, really liked Ransom the most. He's the perfect amount of brooding, surly, handsome, gentlemanly... I don't care about his disfigurement/disability. He is perfect - probably one of my favorite historical romance heroes. Not probably - DEFINITELY. For me, this book was all him, and I loved it.

I didn't love Izzy (see below), but I thought the romance was awesome. The chemistry is powerful, right from the start, and it never stops. This is a very chemistry-filled and steamy historical romance novel - just saying! I loved how Dare infused chemistry and romance and somehow pulled it off without making the romance seem rushed or forced.

Overall, this book was GREAT. I hope the next books in this series are as lovely as this one! This is definitely a historical romance novel you do not want to miss!

What I Did Not Like:

There was really only one thing that bothered me, and to sum it up, it was Izzy. She was so annoying at times, and I feel like her character did not change AT ALL, from start to finish. She's so bothersome and pushy and doesn't know when to stop. Sometimes, Ransom needed to be pushed. But other times, he did not. 

Also, Izzy was stuck in her head ALL THE TIME. And this was one of the things that was not "fixed" in this book. She never had to give up anything for Ransom - her childishness, her stories, her fantasies. She never had to grow up, or give anything up, but Ransom had to give up or concede or yield. I hate that.

Would I Recommend It:

This is one historical romance novel that I would highly recommend. It's like, the perfect package for a historical romance read. One thing that is totally different is that there is basically no interaction in society or with the ton - but I like this. Everything takes place in the castle, which I like!t

Rating:

4 stars. Definitely a cute and enjoyable story! I'll be following this series for sure.


Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!

12 comments:

  1. I love Tessa Dare and I can't wait to read this series! Great review!

    Kathy
    My Nook, Books & More

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you read this one sometime! It's amazing. Thank you!

      Delete
  2. that doesnt seems nice. thanks for sharing this with us. if you are looking for a good antivirus for your device then you can get Norton Software which uses Heuristic algorithm for detecting viruses. you can get further information at norton.com/setup

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you so much for this wonderful Post and all the best for your future. I hope to see more post from you. I am satisfied with the arrangement of

    your post. You are really a talented person I have ever seen. Norton.com/setup

    ReplyDelete
  4. You can purchase the McAfee Antivirus software online or from the local Retail Store as it is available on all the retail store available near you. www.mcafee.com/activate | mcafee.com/activate

    ReplyDelete
  5. Is it true that you are discouraged from the terrible execution of antivirus particularly from Norton antivirus suites? Regardless of whether you are utilizing old or new form, there ought not come any inability to filter the nearness of infection and other relative dangers. When you see some disappointment in the diverse fragment of working report, there is supreme interest of getting the equal and most reasonable infection ensuring sets on norton.com/setup. In conclusion, it is exhorted that you would need to document all protests with the respect of inability to our specialized group.
    norton activation key
    Norton Setup Key
    norton Antivirus key
    norton product key
    norton download
    www.norton.com/setup

    ReplyDelete
  6. In the event that your HP printer driver arrangement doesn't work appropriately, at that point you should surf on 123.hp.com/setup. As pr your need and similarity key trait, you can get good 123.hp.com/setup for getting the reasonable outcome.

    hp setup
    123.hp.com/setup 6978

    ReplyDelete
  7. To setup a safe connection with other gadgets, it is very essential to find out WPS pin on HP printer. With the help of this wireless connection, you can print your important files and documents from any location at any time. So, you would need a Wi-Fi Protected Setup pin on printing machine and a wireless router or wired network and simply connect your wireless printer to your gadget in order to print. After installing device and printer on the system, it asks for WPS PIN for wireless connection that is very tough to find for any printer user. Therefore, if you’re not certain that where you can find this pin, you can get full technical guidance from trained technical support team.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Looking for a reliable online writing service provider in the U.S.A? If yes, then you are on the right platform to receive the best assignment help online at an affordable price. We are providing remarkable academic writing services for the past many years to resolve students’ concerns. To finish your project efficaciously, you must go for Online assignment help services.

    assignment help service
    assignment helper
    Help with assignment
    Help with assignment writing

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hire me if you want to grab impeccable and flawless Strategic Assignment Help. For me, academic writing is the source of expanding acquaintance and the best platform to share acquaintances. I am part of the content development team of greatassignmenthelp.com and working there from last many years.
    Visit here: MATLAB Assignment Help
    MBA Assignment Help

    ReplyDelete
  10. Due to paper jam your printer can show the message of HP Print won't Print. you have to make sure that the paper is properly aligned in the paper tray. If your paper is not inserted properly, it can quickly turn into a jam. Don't overstuff the tray it may be the reason of paper jam.

    ReplyDelete

I love comments! I will always try and reply to your comments, as well as leave some comment love on your blog! :)

Also, this an award and tag free blog. While I am flattered that you would think of me, I really do not have the time to follow up. Thank you!