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A Duke to Die For by Amelia Grey
The Rogues' Dynasty, book 1
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: 384
Published: April 2009
The handsome fifth Duke of Blakewell is more interested in card parties, horse racing, and carousing than in settling down to manage his extensive estate and vast fortune. When young Miss Henrietta Tweed arrives on his doorstep and announces he's her new guardian, she also tells him that a family curse accompanies her, and each of her previous guardians has met an untimely end. Finding her remarkably capable and cool-headed, Blake sets about to get her a husband, but finds something wrong with every one of her suitors.
When Blake suffers a series of accidents, Henrietta is more than ever convinced she must free him from the cursed guardianship. Just as Blake realizes he wants nothing more than to marry her himself.
Nothing like a cute little historical romance now and again. But I have found out that I have the most stupid pet peeve. I grew up with Cartland and other "nice" writers of romance. So now every time some one has sex, I shake my head and tell her in a stern voice, what improver behavior for a young lady. You will never get married now! Sometimes it works for me, but here I just shook my head. I mean that is so silly, if this had taken place 100 years later I would have just shouted , you go girl!
So yes there was sex, no one missed that after my little conservative speech. I honestly think I will never get over it because I know better and I know they would have been ruined. Luckily they always get to marry the man who ruins them ;) Though here the first sex scene, well I mean I would have been broken after it. She didn't seem that affected that he just went out and left her. For a naive girl who hadn't even been kissed before him that was weird behaviour.
Ok enough with my conservative blabber. I blame Barbara Cartland!
She was a sweet naive girl who believed that there was a curse upon her, and her guardians sure kept on dropping like flies. In comes her last guardian, a handsome young duke and my attention had been earned. She wants to be independent, he wants to see her married and gone from him. Well we all know that things are not that simple, nope, she falls for him, and there are some situations where he fights his emotions, or should I say lust. He, a no good rake has fallen for her too. But of course she has this stupid notion about a curse, or is it stupid?
No kick in the back for these, yes they should have known they were in love, but they were just so clueless that is was sweet. And he was really cute and smart at the end. I liked them as a couple, and there was some nice scenes were things started to get steamy.
Good side characters, I liked his cousins, they have the next two books, so good to see more of them. Their uncle Gibby was a sweet old man, and I find myself liking Blake's old mistress Constance. i never like the old mistresses, but Grey had put it so nicely. They had slept together, and realized they were just to be friends. Gotta love that. I'd like to see her in a book too, the widow who gets married again.
A sweet and easy read that kept my attention through out the book.
Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: Nope not liking it, no head on him, and she is turned away. Oh I just saw, rather girly lips on him.
Reason 4 Reading: Own copy
Final thoughts: You never go wrong with a historical romance now and again.
