27 November 2018

Book Review | The Duke That I Marry by Cathy Maxwell

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Miss Willa Reverly believes she has made a fairy tale match when Matthew Addison, the Duke of Camberly, a.k.a. the most eligible bachelor in all of London, asked her father for her hand . . . until she realizes her duke is no prince. The strong-minded young lady is furious that he has not contacted her once during their long months of engagement, has not made a single effort to get to know the woman he is to marry.  Yes, she knows her sole purpose in life has been to marry well, to lift her wealthy bourgeois family to the upper echelons of British Society.  In truth of fact, it is quite obvious that all Camberly wants of Willa is her father’s money.

But what if a woman wants more for her life, including a marriage of the heart?

Matthew needs his heiress. He must take her to the altar at all costs. His title and perhaps even his life depends upon it. In turn, he must become the man of her dreams. And may we confide a salacious tidbit of gossip about this book?  “I wanted to write a blackmail book,” hints New York Times bestselling author Cathy Maxwell, in the afterword to THE DUKE THAT I MARRY.  The plot twists with a mystery that may surprise Maxwell’s many readers – and will certainly intrigue newer readers of the genre as well.

“The topic of consent is similarly handled with candor…the book begins and ends with a swoon as the headstrong heroine trains her more experienced husband in the true art of seduction.”
Kirkus Reviews

“The third superbly entertaining addition to Maxwell’s Regency-set Spinster Heiress series boasts flawlessly crafted characters as well as a neatly executed plot that is animated by steamy sensuality, family intrigue, and dangerous secrets.”
Booklist/Review


 BOOK REVIEW

4/5

The Duke That I Marry started out with a mystery that needs to be solved, and then a beginning of what seems to be a budding romance - enough to get me started reading. Yep, can't believed I finished this book in one sitting.

The characters have their own flaws and perfections. I like Matt - he seems to have a good head on his shoulder. He wasn't supposed to be in line for the title, but certain circumstances brought him to it. And now, he must save his crumbling estate and help his sister by marrying one of the richest heiresses in London. Only to find himself being dump a night before his wedding.

Willow wanted love. She wants what her friends have who seemed to be happy and content of what they have. Everybody wants the Duke, and she wanted him not because of his looks but of the poetry he penned. But after their betrothal, he vanished and he expects her to marry him? Nooo way. So, she decided to let him go via letter. 

If she things he will let her, she was sorely mistaken. 

Matt can charm the dead. Poets are indeed deadly with words, and Matt was determined to have his bride. What he didn't expect was to like his bride, and wanting to spend time with her, especially during the wedding night. Although, their wedding night was such a surprise. It started out as romantic, but ended in a tone that was quite real, I was glad Cathy Maxwell didn't sugarcoat it like most author do.

Their relationship might start out as a pragmatic one - she (or rather her family) needs him, and he needs her (or her fortune rather). Nevertheless, I like how Cathy allowed the love to grow without pushing it too far. Readers will enjoy falling in love together with the characters. It wasn't an insta-romance. There was attraction, and from their blossomed a relationship. They had their bumps, but all went well.

The action part was pretty spectacular. It had my heart stop for a while, I couldn't breathe. It was just wow. 

The Duke That I Marry offers great romance, wonderful adventure and an i-am-on-the-edge-of-my-seat action that will have you hooked on to this book!

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On nurturing romance in “lit-hip” Austin, TX:  Cathy is a dynamo, a force of nature who rallies support for the genre wherever she goes.  She recently wrote an in-depth feature in the Romance Writers Report (RWR), the monthly publication that reaches all members of the Romance Writers of America (the largest publishing genre trade organization in the United States).  In it, this recently-relocated dynamo recounts how she’s brought a prodigious love for the Romance genre to one of the most lit-hip markets in the U.S.A.  (Her work in Austin has also been profiled in Publishers Weekly!)  She comments, “Austin has been a great move for me. I love the people and I’ve found my tribe here. I’m a member of Austin Romance Writers and have found many outlets for my new fave project—bringing readers and writers together.  I am happy to do a column on Romance for Book People, an local independent bookstore. I host a reading salon called Heart of ATX. I enjoy hearing writers read from their work and am pleased that so many other people enjoy it as well.  I am also involved in a Romance Book Club of proactive readers who make me think and these books we all love to read.”

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