A duke intervenes!
The Duke Is But a Dream (Debutante Diaries #2) by Anna Bennett
A columnist for a young lady's guide to "how-to-survive" for Debutantes, a fight in a tavern, a lad discovered to be a lass, a brooding stranger, memory loss and safety.
Lily Hartley writer of the gossip column The Debutantes Revenge for London Hearsay delivers her latest work, enjoys a moment of exploring life as a scrawny messenger boy, and then disaster strikes.
Eric Nash, Duke of Stonebridge, has fled his house after a fight with his sister, ends up having a drink in a seedy tavern in an even seedier part of London and steps into assist a youth being set upon. Imagine his surprise when that lad turns out to be a lass! And when that lass/lad is knocked unconscious, then suffers loss of memory.
Nash takes her home, calls the doctor and allows Lily to stay until they can discover who she is.
Unfortunately the alarm won't be sounded as Lily's parents think she's staying with her sister Fiona whilst they go to Bath. Meanwhile Fiona thinks Lily has returned to their parents' house whilst she goes on a sudden trip to Scotland with her husband Grey.
It appears Lily, now called Caroline, won't be missed for a couple of weeks.
Of course the sparks fly between Caroline and the Duke. Of course he has other problems that interfere with his willingness to acknowledge his love for her. But of course there is a HEA. The getting there involves a lot of interplay, and a testing of each other, of the chemistry between them. But really, the storyline becomes somewhat predictable, and even the falling into each other's arms with such frequency becomes a tad ho hum.
After all, this young miss is following her own column's advice even if she doesn't know she's the author.
Nash's sister Delilah is a delightful young woman, guarded closely by her brother. Delilah has a mind of her own who shows Caroline / Lily nothing but kindness. The two for a strong bond, and then Delilah follows her heart but unfortunately she's not been made aware of why she should be cautious. That leads to even more problems. All collides when Lily regains her memory and Nash finds out her columnist activities for a publication he detests.
There are parts, like the beginning, I loved but the resolution for me didn't have the same strength.
A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley
***
Lily Hartley writer of the gossip column The Debutantes Revenge for London Hearsay delivers her latest work, enjoys a moment of exploring life as a scrawny messenger boy, and then disaster strikes.
Eric Nash, Duke of Stonebridge, has fled his house after a fight with his sister, ends up having a drink in a seedy tavern in an even seedier part of London and steps into assist a youth being set upon. Imagine his surprise when that lad turns out to be a lass! And when that lass/lad is knocked unconscious, then suffers loss of memory.
Nash takes her home, calls the doctor and allows Lily to stay until they can discover who she is.
Unfortunately the alarm won't be sounded as Lily's parents think she's staying with her sister Fiona whilst they go to Bath. Meanwhile Fiona thinks Lily has returned to their parents' house whilst she goes on a sudden trip to Scotland with her husband Grey.
It appears Lily, now called Caroline, won't be missed for a couple of weeks.
Of course the sparks fly between Caroline and the Duke. Of course he has other problems that interfere with his willingness to acknowledge his love for her. But of course there is a HEA. The getting there involves a lot of interplay, and a testing of each other, of the chemistry between them. But really, the storyline becomes somewhat predictable, and even the falling into each other's arms with such frequency becomes a tad ho hum.
After all, this young miss is following her own column's advice even if she doesn't know she's the author.
Nash's sister Delilah is a delightful young woman, guarded closely by her brother. Delilah has a mind of her own who shows Caroline / Lily nothing but kindness. The two for a strong bond, and then Delilah follows her heart but unfortunately she's not been made aware of why she should be cautious. That leads to even more problems. All collides when Lily regains her memory and Nash finds out her columnist activities for a publication he detests.
There are parts, like the beginning, I loved but the resolution for me didn't have the same strength.
A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley
***
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