Customer Reviews

The Duchess

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

After reading all of Bertrice's books this one does not have the sexual intrigue as her others. The book has a great story line, but lacks in the love scenes as her other books.

"The Duchess" was such a disappointment. Despite a promising story line Bertrice Small managed to make this book almost unreadable. A good third of the book was simple explication of Georgian society that read as if she'd lifted it directly from a history book. She obviously researched the book, unfortunately the research didn't stop her from having the heroine call her father 'Pa' of all things, not to mention a host of other simple, yet distracting mistakes.

Bertrice Small usually dishes up thrilling, exciting erotica but unfortunately this book is none of the above. Although well-researched, the couple isn't that interesting and the subplot with the French Revolution seemed more like filler than a genuine attempt at writing real adventure, and the scenes of rape/sexual abuse of prisoners was a major turnoff. Brutality stuff simply doesn't belong in a romance novel. Can't recommend this one.

As the daughter of the richest man in England, Allegra Morgan attracts a number of fortune hunters willing to overlook her flawed pedigree to gain her enormous wealth. Her most ardent suitor is the arrogant but impoverished Quinton Hunter, Duke of Sedgwick, who has little to offer a prospective wife except his grand title. Allegra decides that if she must marry, she might as well be a duchess. So she agrees to the match with one condition: her husband must never ask for her love. She has seen the misery love can cause and has vowed to give her heart to no man-especially a dangerously alluring duke. Quinton is dazzled by his new wife's grace and fortitude, as well as the fierce desire that rages between them. Despite his intentions, he finds himself falling in love with her. Then the terrors of the French Revolution hit close to home, and the two of them set off on a treacherous adventure that could cost them everything...including their final chance at happiness. The only reason I gave this book 4 stars was because it is a Bertrice Small novel and she is my favorite author. I was disappointed though. It was mundane and boring. Where was the adventure Ms. Small's herorine's are so famous for? This book smacked of boredom. But Allegra was a charming creature and she kept me going through the story.

I've always been a big fan of this author but I was terribly dissapointed by this book. It read as if someone had just taken a course on how to write a historical romance and was filling in the blanks. There was minimal tension between the heroine and hero and some of the love scenes were embarrasing to read as the dialogue was so laughable.

I'm a big fan of Bertrice Small and have read all of her books. I am halfway through The Duchess and I'm wondering if Bertrice Small really wrote this book. The vivid descriptions and fascinating characters are missing. Usually, by the third page of a Bertrice Small's book, I'm hooked and read until the wee hours of the morning because I can't put it down, but I'm having a hard time even picking up this book to read on.

So bad...so boring...the heroine is too goody goody to be true and lacks the fire, spiit, sensuality, and mettle to be a true Small heroine. Asexual, and unerotic. The love scenes were shockingly tame, even dull. This is about as bad as The Innocent (another Small novel), save that this books lacks the villains and plot twists that are a hall mark of even the worst of Small's novels, giving her books a campy trampy edge if nothing else. She was going for sweet...but this is just plain milk toast, treacle. Not worth the money.

I typically enjoy Betrice Small and some of the characters at time were cute. That is the best thing I can say about this book. There was really no plot. They both were looking for spouses and they got married nothing got in the way nothing intesting there. She was a spoiled brat and he seemed decent enough except for the fact that he thought her bold behavior "unduchess like" but he still rarely if ever did anything to stop it. And when she would step over the line in front of other people he didn't once call her on it which was uncharacteristic of the opinions he had of her behavior. Later elements where thrown into the story that seemed to just be there to add some pages and by the end I cared less about the characters than I did at the beginning.

I absolutely LOVE Bertrice Small, but I was very disappointed by this book. The characters were so shallow that it was difficult to keep anyone but the main characters straight! There was no real adventure (unlike Sky O'Malley and family) and the French "escape" seemed thrown in to prolong the story. The feeling of undying love between Allegra and the Duke never conveyed itself in the reading.

I am a huge Betrice Small fan, and many of her books have been so re-read by me that the bindings have broken. Her books are generally full of passion, historical suspense and strong, independent minded heriones.

While this book mimics her usual genre, I can't say that this fan is impressed. I found the book predictable and actually fairly dull. That said, it was still an enjoyable read for a 'at the beach in the summer' book, though not one I'd recommend to a first time Bertrice Small reader. Try a Skye O'Malley series book first instead !

I wanted to love this book, and I only wish that I had. Liking it was as far as I can give it, sadly.