‘You deserve to be loved,’ he murmured, trailing kisses down her burning cheek and neck. ‘Thoroughly and without apology.’
How the Wallflower Wins a Duke is a swoon-worthy Regency romance.
Marina Fletcher’s Rules:
- Rule 1: Spend life composing music in peace. Do not worry about finding a husband.
- Rule 2: If must worry about finding a husband, marry for love only or commit to becoming a spinster.
- Rule 3: Resist urge to spend time with the sinfully sexy Duke of Framlingham, who clearly does not believe in love.
- Rule 4: Never ever say yes to said duke’s wicked plan for us to silence society’s expectations with a fake engagement…
But what happens when this wallflower breaks every single rule?
I LOVE Lucy’s books and always burst out in a little dance whenever I see she has a new book coming out. I adored everything about this book. It is bursting with loveable characters, an interesting story, and a romance that swept me off my feet. There is nothing better than sinking into a good Regency romance. I spent my whole Saturday reading this book in my backyard, and I’m not mad about it. Lucy knows what makes a fantastic Regency romance, which shows in her writing. She knows what her readers want and delivers every single time. There is so much to like about this book. First, let’s chat about the story. This story really has it all: Regency drama, balls, a secret love affair, and a Duke who is wholeheartedly captivated by a Wallflower. The pacing and flow of this story is perfection. Everything moves along fairly briskly, and Lucy knows the right moments to throw in a twist, a swoony hidden moment, or some high-society drama. It really becomes this addictive read that you just can’t put down.
The secondary characters added so much to this story. I love the Marina’s family dynamic. In a Regency romance, an MC rarely has a close and healthy relationship with both parents. Marina’s parents are AMAZING! They truly adore and respect their daughter and son, and their love for their children is limitless. That love flows both ways. Marina’s loyalty and love for her parents is constantly shown throughout this book. Marina’s relationship with her parents also puts this new twist on a Regency romance in the sense that Marina isn’t worried about her future. She knows that if she never marries, her parents will still love her and that her future is safe. She will have money and the ability to pursue her music with or without marrying a man. Normally, the heroine feels immense pressure to marry, but in this case, it’s the Duke who is feeling this pressure. I love this twist because instead of the heroine being back in this corner, she chooses to pursue this fake engagement and secret relationship with the Duke because she wants to, not because she has to.
The romance was utter perfection. Everything was perfectly balanced, and Lucy included all those tropes and micro tropes that are just catnip to my soul. The growing relationship between Marina and Brook (aka the Duke) is one that is done mostly in secret, which I love. Those secret moments and touches also had this fear that someone would catch them, which only heightened that lusty tension between these two. I really like these two characters. I loved that witty and sharp banter that existed between them. Marina doesn’t take any crap from Brook, which he finds utterly refreshing and charming. The moment Brook lays eyes on Marina, he knows that there is something different about her. The problem is Brook doesn’t want to marry; he wants to travel, and the only reason why he proposed a fake engagement arrangement with Marina is to get his mother off his back. For Marina, she doesn’t know quite what to do with the feelings that are popping up whenever Brook is around. Part of her doesn’t want to marry, but another part realizes that she is falling fast and hard for Brook. The growing relationship between these two was addictive and had just the right amount of spice. It was so well done.
How the Wallflower Wins a Duke was a swoony and addictive read, perfect for anyone who loves Regency romances.
Thank you, Harlequin-Romance for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
