Of Dukes and Deceptions by Wendy Soliman

Of Dukes and Deceptions

Author:  Wendy Soliman

ISBN-13: 978-1426891328

Publication Date: March, 2011

Publisher: Carina Press

Book Length: 

Acquired by Me:  NetGalley

 

Description Courtesy of Goodreads:

 

“When Nicholas Buchanan, the Duke of Dorchester, accepts an invitation to visit a country stud farm, he counters his boredom by striking a wager with his henchman that he'll bed the poor relation, Alicia Woodley, before the end of his stay. But he reckons without Alicia's disdain. She's disgusted by Nick's cavalier attitude, unimpressed by his grandeur and wants as little as possible to do with him.

 Between her newfound role as family charity case and fending off the attentions of both her clueless cousin and the arrogant Nicholas, Alicia Woodley has quite enough to contend with...but when her life is endangered, quite possibly from those closest to her, surprisingly it is Nicholas who seems determined to ensure her safety. As they conspire to uncover secrets that the family wants hidden at all costs, they discover a passion that surpasses all obstacles.”

  

My Thoughts:

 

You always know things are gonna get ugly when a wager is involved. I love spending time waiting for the heroine to find out – then commences the hero’s remorse and sudden construction of a conscience. In typical fashion, all is forgiven in the end and everyone gets a Happily Ever After.

 Okay, so that was just one part of the story. The other part is a bit of a mystery and bout of sleuthing that goes on regarding the circumstances behind the operation of a stud farm that the Duke, Nicholas, gets invited to. His investment into the operation is highly desirable, but something doesn’t feel quite right about it (bring on the sleuthing).

 There ensues Nicholas’ quick building relationship with the impertinent and irreverent Alicia Woodley. She doesn’t give a fig for Nicholas and thus, captures his attention. Isn’t that how it goes? You always want most what you can’t easily get?

 The story was okay.. Nothing terribly earth shattering for me, but overall a very pleasant read. I thought Soliman did a good job designing her characters, although Nicholas’ ego was a bit over inflated, but then again, he is a Duke – so I have to forgive that somewhat. I really liked the touch of equine thrown into the mix. Alicia’s overlooked skills and knowledge of horses seemed par for the course, given the era. I am glad when authors remember to point out how disadvantaged young women were in the Regency period.

This is a good story for Regency readers. I certainly wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading and I’m keen to see what else Soliman has to offer up down the road.

  

 

The thoughts expressed in this post are solely based on my personal opinion and have not been influenced by any other entity or being. Use of my statements may not be reproduced without permission from me, the author of Fall In Love With Books.

 

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