"Sensual Victorian era romance."
Antonio Thorndyke, half Spanish and half English, enjoyed
his life at Estancia de la Luna in Spain. But that all
changed with the drowning of his English cousin, James the
Duke of Weston along with his family. Antonio's father
informs him he has to go to England and take up the
responsibility of being a duke. So with reluctance Antonio
takes his sister to London. He was charged with the task of
make sure Briella makes her debut into English Society. Carolyn Locklear, recently widowed, lives at Crestwood
Estate with her brother Hal. Carolyn's father had died
after a long illness. As per her father's wishes, she
married one of his friends, a man old enough to take her
father's place. Four months later, she becomes a widow due
to a hunting accident. Only she knows that her marriage has
never been consummated. Antonio and Hal had been to Cambridge together. At that
time, Caroline had been a young girl with a case of puppy
love for Antonio. But he never even seemed to notice her.
Now eight years later all of that has changed. As a grown
woman all Caroline's feelings are reviving for Antonio. The
attraction is mutual and powerful. It isn't long before she
is no longer a virgin. Upon discovering the truth about Caroline's experience,
Antonio sets about arranging an immediate wedding. Their
honeymoon takes them to Ireland. They are stopped by a
woman pleading with Antonio to listen to her. Caroline
immediately recognized the Duchess Lenore. James had lost
his memory after being rescued at sea; he didn't realize
that he was the Duke of Weston. The only person still
missing is their son. THE RELUCTANT DUKE is a Victorian era romance. Any typical
Regency reader will enjoy this story as long as they
realize it's more sensual. I loved the way Ms Fox captured
the spirits of these two different characters from two
different cultures. I enjoyed all the secondary characters
as well. THE RELUCTANT DUKE is rich in details. A
thoroughly enjoyable read. Sensuality Guide: Explicit sex, oral sex.
Reviewed by Patricia McGrew
Courtesy Sensual Romance
Posted May 30, 2003
| 
