What’s a Princess to do?

The Duke Not Taken (A Royal Match #2) by Julia London    

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Queen Justine of Wesloria loves her sister, but Amelia keeps expressing her rather forceful opinions, and doing the occasional outrageous action, like kissing a footman. It’s time to bring in the heavies—in particular, Lady Lila Aleksander, the matchmaker. Princess Amelia is to be sent to England for a stay in a country home, where she’ll be introduced to eligible parties. 

All Amelia wants is for her opinions to be respected and someone to accept her as she is.

She didn’t count on being nearly knocked down by the Grim Reaper, as she dubs the Joshua Parker, the Duke of Marley, a recluse struggling with circumstances surrounding the death of his wife in childbirth.

Beckett Hawke, the Earl and of Iddesleigh and his wife Blythe have five daughters, and Amelia delights in them. I particularly liked that she played games with them, taught them the rules of duelling, and how to wear a tiara. A bored Amelia walks the girls to school and takes on some organising tasks for the headmaster, Mr. Roberts. In doing so she comes across letters of complaint  penned by a concerned resident of Devonshire (the Duke).

Amelia and the Duke enter into a very funny correspondence over a girls lessons, and their singing that’s annoyingly loud (in the Duke’s opinion)

The men Amelia meets are dismissive of her opinions (in the nicest condescending way). She despairs of finding anyone who jogs her interest. Well except for the Duke of Marley, and really it’s his rudeness and chiding of her that she resents.

A lively romance with an equally lively and somewhat lost lady.

A Harlequin Trade ARC via NetGalley.                                              

Many thanks to the author and publisher.