Review: Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare
SYNOPSIS:
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.
REVIEW:
Honest review time, well it’s always honest review time when it comes to books but you get the idea. I had a hard time getting into this story. I actually set the book down for 2 weeks after starting it before picking it back up again…which is unheard of for me. I just could not get into the story.
At first I was anticipating a Beauty and the Beast vibe but that fizzled out quickly. I was just bored with the first 37% of this book. The characters were one-dimensional and flat. Their circumstances forced them to be together but the interactions were uncomfortable and not due to the sexual tension. Banter wasn’t effortless and I think it was due to the amount of baggage Izzy and Ransom both have. It really weighted the early part of this story down for me.
But after the 37% mark, the story really turned around. The story line started to flow and the plot began to play out and blend more soundly with the romance. Izzy and Ransom had reached some sort of symbiosis and the interactions went from boring to sizzling, the banter went from cringy to playful.
The remainder of the story had the effortless, airiness I associate with a Tessa Dare book. The plot started to quicken and become a center fold, the romance started intertwining with the plot and the endless drama and tension started unfolding. I don’t think I would read this book again, but I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
LINKS:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
