In "Romancing the Duke," Izzy Goodnight, a penniless and determined heroine, inherits a castle from her godfather, only to find the brooding and disfigured Duke of Rothbury, Ransom, still in residence. As the two clash over ownership of the castle, their mutual attraction grows, leading to a romance filled with humor, emotion, and sparring that defies their initial impressions of each other. The story unfolds with elements of fairy tales, humor, and a touch of realism, as Izzy and Ransom navigate their individual traumas and ultimately find love in a unique and entertaining way.
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Has Romance?
Yes, romance is a central element of the story, characterized by a deep and engaging connection between the protagonists.
From The Publisher:
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.
Ratings (36)
Incredible (3) | |
Loved It (20) | |
Liked It (8) | |
It Was OK (5) |
Reader Stats (62):
Read It (40) | |
Want To Read (15) | |
Not Interested (7) |
3 comment(s)
Absolutely fantastic. I honestly can't think of a single criticism. Tessa Dare has now firmly entrenched herself on my must-read list.
Tessa Dare certainly has a good hook for a series: an old rich guy leaves a series of castles to his series of goddaughters. My godfather didn't leave me anything and I'm pretty sure he wasn't even street legal because he was Jewish. Regardless.
I like that Dare has her characters Use Their Words, because especially in this situation there is a lot of room for misunderstandings, which are only okay if they last for a page or two. A plain jane heroine, a handsome but mostly blinded duke, and the question of who owns the castle drives the plot. Both main characters show development, but there's not enough of an arc for Ransom. He was raised in a loveless environment, almost enters a loveless marriage, and now lurks in a castle like a Beast, not believing in love or happy endings or basically anything in this genre. Things change for him, but they kind of keep flip flopping more than anything. Izzy is a better developed character, and I love that she has octopus hair. A boy told me that once. I was not amused and also he wasn't royalty and also we did not get married.
I don't know, this was a little odd. I liked it for the most part but the story development was all over the place and kind of aimless. There were just lots of random sections
like the body in the wall?
that just didn't really make sense or go anywhere. I did like both characters but I didn't particularly connect with them - they were kind of flat and bland. I liked the nod to fairytales and castles and happy ever afters - the whimsy was a nice touch. The knights were humorous if not completely weird. The resolution was pretty weak and the book was too long - it could've been condensed for a much tighter story. 3 stars - edging towards the lower side of 3.
What can you read after
Romancing the Duke?
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