What To Do With A Duke (Spinster House)
By: Sally MacKenzie
Rating: 5 of 5
It has been many years since I have read a book by Ms. MacKenzie. I was really pleased to discover that her writing had improved over the years and that issues the last book (rape scene) was not present in this story.
The book is purportedly a Regency Romance but it really is more of a comic romance. The Duke of Hart is under a curse that forces him back to his home for the first time in many years. The curse is that he won’t live to see his male heir born, so he is determined not to marry. He meets Miss Isabelle Catherine Hutting (Cat to her friends), the vicar’s daughter who has sworn herself to spinsterhood. The sparks begin to fly and the outcome is pretty predictable from that point on.
The character of the Marcus (the Duke) is rather shallow. He concentrates mostly on keeping his libido under control because he is in immediate lust for Cat. There is an attempt in the story to bring his character alive and give him a back story and emotions but his initial mental back and forth regarding having sex with Cat is what sticks in mind. Cat is a more rounded character. You get to know her and her family and they are an amusing and loud bunch. She has twin brothers who are truly a hoot and entirely believable. There is a tad bit of paranormal hinted at but not fully explored with regards to an actual cat but that may be something for a future book in the series.
Apart from the issues with Marcus, I really enjoyed the story as a comedy with romance and a couple of sex scenes.
I received a digital ARC copy of this book from the publisher, Zebra (Kensington), via Netgalley
It has been many years since I have read a book by Ms. MacKenzie. I was really pleased to discover that her writing had improved over the years and that issues the last book (rape scene) was not present in this story.