Customer Reviews

The Wicked Duke Takes a Wife

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

 

 

This book was just plain bad. I'm someone who finishes a book, no matter how terrible I'm finding it. This book made me sorely wish that wasn't the case.

The plot was all but non-existent with very poorly manufactured drama, little to no sexual tension, and characters that I felt no connection to whatsoever. I didn't get any sense of a growing attraction--let alone a relationship--between the main characters. I don't mind my romances with a lust/love at first sight motif, but I didn't get that from this story either. It seemed like there wasn't really a story at all - just an idea that got a thumbs up from the publisher and then got dragged out for 300 or so pages by the author.

And the tie-in to "Frankenstein"? Unnecessary and nonsensical. I also didn't understand Griffin being described as "wicked" or "dark". Am I supposed to buy that he's comparable to Frankenstein's monster because he looks mean when people first meet him? Or because he wasn't married yet (though he's constantly described as a "young duke")? All I surmised was that the author loves "Frankenstein" and made up a way to shove it into her "book."

I could go on about how much I didn't like this book (what was with the weird line somewhere near the end that Griffin thought Harriet blamed him for her father's death when there wasn't anything before that would make us think he was connected to that at all-and then the idea was never considered again after it crosses the "hero's" mind... it bothered me that I didn't know either character's age... I assume Edlyn will get her own book at some point but she was just a weird plot device in this one... my agreement with another reviewer that it seemed absurd that the main characters didn't even have a conversation about the differences in their stations...), but I think my point comes across and I don't want to sink to the level of vitriol-spewing.

I guess I'll just close with the point that I really am glad to see the positive reviews for this book--there's something out there for everyone. But I won't be buying any more Jillian Hunter books - just not my cup of tea.

I have to agree with Old Latin Teacher's review: this is an easy read, but a disappointing one. Most disappointing was the total improbability of this particular story - a duke falling in LOVE with the low-born heroine, his family being pleased with the match (despite public scorn for the pair), and there being celebration and acceptance for this socially mismatched pair at the end with no acknowledgement of the earlier ostracism that was threatened. Lust between them? Sure - that would fit with the times and with the amount of time this story gave the pair to interact. But love and marriage? Not on your life. This romance forces the storybook ending without any believability.

This was also a highly formulaic effort - there were few, if any, surprises or twists to keep it interesting. It was lacking in rich story telling. It seemed to rush from plot device to plot device so quickly that you could not grow to appreciate the story or the characters.

Overall, this particular book was a disappointment to me. I kept at it hoping it would improve, but when I was done, I felt I had wasted my time. If you go into to it with relatively low expectations and for a quick read, it is passable, but overall, there are many better books out there.

I ordered this book because of the author and it was part of the Bocastle series. I had hoped that it was book about another of Gabriel's brothers so was a little disappointed that it about another branch of the family. I did like the book but I found it a little light on the usual character development and I felt that the ending was a little sloppy and rushed

I very much enjoyed reading this book, I enjoyed it so much the first time I had to read it again for a second time. The characters are wonderful and easy to like. Griffin, the duke, is the typical handsome, black haired, blue-eyed devil. Harriet (vision of an Irish princess) is the beautiful, witty, young paid companion to the duke's nagging but lovable aunt Lady Powlis. Edlyn, the gothic niece, is a strange character, but one the duke loves and cares for non the less. Harriet is comical and sassy and practically falls in the love with duke at first sight. Griffin is intrigued with Harriet from the start, he appreciates her sassy nature. The author makes mention to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as Harriet's favorite read. This is fitting to the story, because Harriet views Griffin in some ways as a monster/beast looking for a companion in love. All the while Harriet is hoping she is the companion he is in search of, as Lady Powlis is snipping, pushing, and scheming her own agenda for Harriet and Griffin.

This book was a distracting read because I kept looking for a connection to the first two books in the series (Wicked As Sin and A Wicked Lord at the Wedding). With the exception of the original Boscastle family, there is nothing to tie them. I was under the impression that the books in this series would be about Gabriel and his brothers (the long lost Boscastle cousins, but not one from some unknown branch in Wales). Yes, I understand the books are written as a stand alone, but there should be a connection. I also found it improbable that so many within a family would have as many titles as these cousins seem to posses. A Duke, A Marquess, a Viscount all with the same family name, what next a long lost Earl or Baron with the family name of Boscastle? I would understand the multiple titles if they where Royal offsprings, but that was never indicated within any of the stories. How did so many end up with titles and two of them with high ranking titles (a pet peeve)? Also, during the read it seemed as if someone else wrote the story for the author. Her voice was not coming through the pages and maybe that is why there is no connection to the first two books.

Now to the story itself. I did not enjoy this read; it was too far fetched even for a romance novel. A girl from the streets goes to live in a boarding school as a charity case; becomes a teacher; girl goes back and forth between the slums and her new life; Duke shows up with a "problem" niece; Duke meets girl and is smitten; and the rest is flat. I would believe if she became his mistress, but the mistress of his home, no.

I just wanted to rate the book, but it is GREAT! Definitely one of the best in the series.

Again I'm on my rant about too many dukes in romance novels. And it's not only the excessive amount of young and handsome dukes running around nineteenth century England, but it's also the lower-class women they fall in love with and marry. If you want a beautiful ex-thief to marry a peer, at least go lower than a duke. So, now that that's over with, let's get to this book. It's a cute romance. Jillian Hunter writes cute romance. However, I think the characters, in particular the girl Edlyn, needed more development. Lady Powlys was your usual crusty old upper-class lady to be found in dozens of these romances. Harriet the Heroine was O.K. but not so special that the young handsome duke must have her and no one else in the world. Perhaps I missed something there. And the Frankenstein references didn't seem to have a whole heck of a lot to do with the story. Again, maybe I missed something in my speedy reading. But if you're looking for a cute romance to waste your time with, this one works fine.

It's been two years since Harriet Gardner was caught thieving in the home of one of the notorious Boscastles. Rather than having her arrested, Harriet is taken into Emma Boscastle's academy for young ladies as a charity case. Hard work, sweat, and tears turn Harriet from a thief of the streets to a gentlewoman and instructress at the academy. All of Harriet's hard work threatens to come crashing down when she meets Lord Griffin Boscastle. The devilishly handsome duke infuriates and arouses Harriet, making her want to break every rule she's ever learned.

Griffin Boscastle, Duke of Glenmorgan, has come to his cousin's academy to drop off his niece. Griffin has never wanted the responsibilities of the title he unexpectedly inherited, especially not the duty of taking a wife. Yet something about Miss Harriet Gardner makes Griffin feel more alive than he has in ages. And when his aunt hires Harriet to be her companion, the temptation of living with the woman he desires becomes too much to resist. Society would never find a woman known in London's slums as the "Duchess of St. Giles" to be a proper duchess. But then again, when has a Boscastle given a fig what society thinks?

The wicked Boscastle clan is out in full force in this delightful story by Jillian Hunter. The Wicked Duke Takes a Wife has become one of my favorite stories in an altogether charming series about a family of rakes, rogues, vixens, and mischief-makers. Griffin is your typical Boscastle male. He's dashing, loyal, seductive, and protective. You can't not fall for him, so it's no surprise Harriet does. As for Harriet, she might just be my favorite of Ms. Hunter's heroines. She's street smarts combined with kindness and gentility, making her a likeable and somewhat unusual heroine. There's also her affinity for Mary Shelley's Frankenstein which makes her character call to me. She fits right in with the oft-unruly Boscastle clan, many of whom appear in The Wicked Duke Takes a Wife.

One of my favorite things about Ms. Hunter's Boscastle series is that every book makes me feel like I am visiting with old friends. I finished The Wicked Duke Takes a Wife eager for some of the as-yet unmarried Boscastles to find their happily ever after, Charlotte Boscastle in particular. Yet those new to this series need not fear they will be lost; each book fully stands on its own.

The Wicked Duke Takes a Wife is a fast-paced adventure of a tale. It's packed with romance, tenderness, and fun. I adored every bit of this book and cannot wait for Ms. Hunter's next Boscastle story. Pure entertainment!

Shayna
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

This was a shocker. Not because of any of the content particularly, but because it was just a boring and badly-written book with minimal nods to historicity. I found it such hard going, in fact, that I only managed to read three quarters of the way through before giving up.

So why was it so bad? I suppose it mainly comes down to the minimal plot and the fact that this is presumably being billed as a 'historical romance' but the historical aspect was laughable. Our heroine, Harriet Gardner, behaves entirely unlike a woman in Regency London; so do all the characters around her. She has a position as some sort of instructress at a Ladies School and chucks it in with an hour's notice to work as a companion to a cantankerous lady - errr, no. She has various exceptionally unlikely conversations with various people including the supposedly wicked duke who instead comes across as a rather petulant and unfeeling chap. The romance seems to be missing - hero and heroine just fancy the pants off each other.

There were a couple of side characters including the cantankerous woman, Lady Powlis, and the duke's niece Edlyn, but they were as indistinct as the central pair. The chapters started with quotations from various writings of Mary Shelley including Frankenstein - why? All in all I felt this book was a waste of paper and I won't be reading any others by this author.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2010

4.5 Ok, I know the story is on the light side of historic, but reviewing from the perspective, I really enjoyed it. When I noticed that this story's heroine was the grown up Harriet from "The Devilish Pleasures of a Duke", I was interested. Harriet was taken in by the Boscastles from surviving the life of a street urchin from the dangerous area of St Giles in London. She was a great character in Emma's story and made for a unique and charming older heroine in this fast paced love story of a Duke with "baggage". Their unlikely romance was a page turner.