Customer Reviews

How to Dazzle a Duke (The Courtesan Series)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I started to read this book, thought, "I don't think I like this", put it down and when I picked it up again, I was right. I didn't like it. Here's why:
1. This story takes place over two days. I was halfway through the book and it was the same day as the book started. Basically, Penelope goes to a former courtesan, Sophia Dalby, to get her to help land a duke. Sophia has had some previous luck getting couples together. Penelope wants a duke and she's determined to get him. Not so much, the person, but the title. So she goes to see Sophia, visits the eventual hero, goes back to Sophia's, stays an inordinate amount of time, goes to a ball, and falls madly in lust with the hero. In two days. That really stretches the believability quotient quite a bit.
2. I didn't like Penelope. She was strident, had no sense of humor, and I couldn't see why Iveston, our hero, would want to bother with her. Penelope seemed like a bad-tempered, spoiled little girl and I don't think she ever redeemed herself.
3. The hero was sort of so-so. He was blond which isn't a favorite of mine and he was portrayed as something of an odd character. He was better during the kissing scenes, of which there were two, and I believe that pretty much constituted the romance in the book.
4. Did you ever watch the end-credits of a movie and wonder at the number of people it took to make that movie? That was how I felt about this book. There were so many people in this book, I couldn't keep track. There were children, brothers, nephews, in-laws, people who were related somehow, people who weren't related, lovers, hopeful lovers. It went on and on to the detriment of the main romance in the book.
This book was, in my opinion, not good. The leads were unlikable, the timeline too short, and the characters too many. I'm sorry I wasted my money on this one. There was no dazzling here.

Penelope Prestwick is the most fun heroine I have read in a while. Ms. Dain obviously enjoyed positioning Penelope and her towering self-confidence as a counterpoint to the ever-clever Lady Sophia Dalby. Part of the reason the Courtesan Chronicles have been such an unadulterated joy to read is the witty bylaw of the people who inhabit Sophia's corner of the ton. Those of us lucky enough to have enjoyed all the books get to revisit the many interesting and amusing men and women in Sophia's circle. The romance between Penelope and Lord Iveston is a rollicking, sexually-charged good time, but the many *other* stories obviously in development in the background make me long to read more, more, more!

I hope there are many more Courtesan books to come. I need my fix of Lady Sophia Dalby! My only regret is that the publisher issued these in trade-sized paperback, then waited FOREVER to come out with the mass market versions. The world needs more copies of these books, Berkley!

I have not read any of Claudia Dain's other romance but after reading this one, I am going to find and read the earlier books in the series.

This is a historical romance with a slightly different twist. Penelope has a much more 21st century sensibility than one might expect in a young lady of the period. She knows what she wants in a husband (a duke or the heir apparent to a duke) and sets out a plan to get what she wants. In particular, Penelope wants to marry the Duke of Edenham. To achieve her goal, Penelope requests assistance from Lady Dalby who has managed several marriages in the current social season.

Not content to let Lady Dalby handle matters, Penelope charges ahead with her own plans to get Edenham to notice her. Part of those plans involve the Marquis of Iveston. Penelope has no interest in Iveston beyond her plans and Iveston's interest in Penelope is based on her being the only young woman to not chase after him. After Lady Dalby and Penelope set their own plans in motion, things happen quickly and no one knows if Penelope will end up with Edenham or Iveston.

For me the romance happened too quickly to feel much connection with the characters. I would have preferred the action to have taken place over a longer period of time. But it was an enjoyable read and I intend to read other of the author's novels. Readers who don't care for a lot of graphic sex scenes will like this books. There are several "heavy petting" type scenes but the couple doesn't have sex until after they have decided to marry and even then it is "off camera" rather than played out in detail in the book.

80% of the book takes place in a single day. Nothing happens. Lots of other people and their thoughts and wagers. Little development. And it's hard to believe that people fall in love and get married in a day. I expected this series to evolve but nothing new happens. No love scenes, extremely tame. Borrrrring.

Sophia is a great character and I can't wait to find out her next matching-making endeavor. Penelope knows what she wants and with a little nudge from Sophia gets exactly that - though not the man she expected. Wagers and a cast of mostly male characters follow Sophia and Penelope around town entertaining everyone in the ton.

It's rare that a book can make me laugh out loud--but this one did! Penelope is a riot. Sophia is as enigmatic and intriguing as always--and we are given a few more clues to her past. I love piecing together the puzzle of this character! The cast of characters is large in this series, but I so enjoy watching them dance around each other, and how we are able to follow their stories from book to book. This series is a real treat! I'm anxiously waiting for more.

I have been waiting months for this book, pre-ordered it so I wouldn't have to wait, and just finished reading it. I love, love, love this series and this is my favorite book yet. Both the hero and heroine made me smile all the way through. Claudia Dain's writing is so witty and so charming, you can't help falling in love with all the characters, main and secondary alike. Now I just have to wonder how many months I'm going to have to wait to read the next in the series.

I confess I didn't even read the whole book - I got almost halfway, then skipped to the last few chapters. Tedious and painful is an understatement.

This book had a lot of promise. I liked the hero and heroine a lot, and the premise was interesting. The book was derailed IMO by two major flaws: First, the conceit that everything took place in two days. This resulted in the description of one scene going on for literally 80 to 100 pages. This was boring to read, and the notion that the hero and heroine could go from casual acquaintances, to engaging in a scandal, to being in love and betrothed in that time was just ridiculous. Second, there are so many secondary characters - cousins and uncles and suitors of secondary characters, and characters from previous novels in the series. It was bewildering.

In the London society of the ton landing a duke as a husband is considered the highest achievement, as most do not marry for love but for position. This is exactly what Miss Penelope Prestwick has decided will be her only choice. She even has the Duke of Edenham in mind as he is the best choice for her, or so she thinks. She also knows just the person to help her arrange the match, Lady Dalby who appears to be a secret matchmaker, and in fact, appears to have set up at least one of her friends.

When Lady Dalby agrees to help Penelope she does so with more than one motive in mind. She really wants to set up Penelope with the Marquis of Iveston, who would also protest the match. But, Lady Dalby gets the two to agree to help each other, albeit reluctantly. Now it seems all of Society is trying to get in on the action as bets are being placed as to whom Ms. Prestwick will really marry the Duke or the Marquis.

When the strong personalities of Penelope and the Marquis clash while pretending to date will it result in the spark of love, or just frustrations on everyone's account?

How to Dazzle a Duke is a smartly written humor-filled story which also allows the reader to watch the main characters fall in love, in spite of themselves. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey Ms. Dain took us on with How to Dazzle a Duke. Not only is Lady Dalby an intriguing character but her subtle manipulation of two strong people is even better. I look forward to seeing who else might seek out Lady Dalby's talents.

Tanya
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

In 1802 London, logical Lady Penelope Prestwick has decided nothing less than a duke will do for her. She has even selected her future husband though Lord Edenham is ignorant of that fact. However, the perceptive Penelope needs a super mentor if she is to succeed on her quest; she asks the incredible matchmaker and former courtesan Sophia Dalby to assist her.

Penelope's plan, based on Sophia's insider tips to the workings of the minds of men whose quality is below the waist, is to persuade Lord Iveston to fake a courtship in order to make her duke jealous. Her scheme works perfectly except for one minor problem; Iveston has his own scheme and his kisses seem to be making his execution supersede hers.

This is an intriguing Regency romance starring an interesting heroine whose plot works faultlessly except for one small problem; she falls in love with a Marquess. The story line is slowed down a bit by a seemingly cast out of a Cecil B. DeMille epic. However fans of the courtesan saga (see THE COURTESAN'S SECRET, THE COURTESAN'S WAGER and THE COURTESAN'S DAUGHTER) will relish the amusing antics of many of the returnees in support roles as brainy Penelope learns the perils of the heart.

Harriet Klausner