Title: The Duke Next Door
Author: Kristina Earl
Date: 2024
Quote: "For your sake, I shall designate a portion of my property as a refuge, where animals may dwell undisturbed."
And so farewell to suspense. In his first speech, Edward Somerset, the fictional duke whose estates adjoin those of Elizabeth Hamilton's father the earl, makes it clear that he really likes Elizabeth no matter how much they've bickered all through their early lives. All that remains to be seen is how Edward and Elizabeth will settle their past disagreements and get to the happily-ever-after stage of this sweet romance. A really repulsive marquess, and a duel offstage, will be involved.
Jane Austen did this sort of thing ever so much better, but her life was tragically short and her fans have been doing it, as best they could, ever since. If this story lacks Austen's firsthand familiarity with the period and command of its nuances, at least it's good, as all competent Regency Romances are, for a quick mental trip to a time and place that was far from innocent but that was so different from our time and place that its nasty aspects seem almost benign. This fun, short read should offer a nice mental break through an hour or so, total, of waiting room or commuter bus time.
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