To marry--or not!

The Daring Duke (The 1797 Club #1) by Jess Michaels

                              

It's all here. The band of friends who have each other's back from their school days at Braxton Academy. They form the 1797 club, for the heirs of Dukes. That band of brothers' support carries over into their futures as peers and leaders of the land. A great premise for a series. The group is led by the gorgeous 'golden' James, the Duke of Abernathe. 

Then there's the wall flower, the intellectual young woman, Miss Emma Liston, whose life has heavy secrets. Emma catches the interest of the Duke of Abenathe with her discrete interaction with his sister and mother in a difficult situation. 

James is determined not to marry, to have his name die out. Emma is being pushed into marry by her mother, no matter the type of man as long as he can provide. What starts as a glancing comment to a solution to both their problems ends up taking root.

Emma's father's gambling habits lead to situations we've seen before. Here it is played out with somewhat less effect.

There is so much hinted at and happening in this novel, that the tension between James and Emma, the heated exchanges of more than one sort, became somewhat swamped. Emma is the more interesting of the two. James is somewhat wooden, but then with his upbringing it's no wonder.

I look forward to seeing how the rest of the series develops.

A NetGalley ARC

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