The Grace of a Duke (The Daughters of the Aristocracy, #2)

Linda Rae
Sande
Genre: 
Historical

The Earl of Ellsworth arranged his daughter’s marriage when she was three years old.  Having spent her entire life preparing to be the Duchess of Chichester, Lady Charlotte is determined to fulfill her duty -despite the death of the John Wainwright, the eldest son of the duke – for she has secretly loved John’s younger brother Joshua since she was sixteen.  A fire may have scarred Joshua’s face and body, but Charlotte will defiantly set her course and pursue the owner of her heart.   

The spirited heroine alongside the tragically scarred hero, each with strong mutual emotions and noble intentions, comprise Linda Rae Sande’s descriptive historical romance.  The Regency setting truly pops off the page with the author’s rich imagery.  It’s as if you can touch the hero’s scarred face and feel his ‘ropey’ burn scars with your own hand!   As this is the second book in a series, the story can stand alone, although it will feel as if one is dropped into the story.  The absence of character backstory at the beginning may create an air of mystery around Charlotte and Joshua, or it may feel disorienting and challenge one to connect with their characters.   Adversely, there are instances when details are unnecessarily reinforced after having been previously explained and there seem to be creative liberties with the characters’ actions for the time period.  Altogether, The Grace of a Duke is a sweet romance, which also includes a sensual and romantic secondary storyline that flows seamlessly with the main plot line.  

Anna Fitzgerald