Friday, January 1, 2010

[Review]: "Duke Most Wanted"


Title: Duke Most Wanted
Author: Celeste Bradley
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: April 2008
Series: The Heiress Brides Series, Book 3
Summary (B and N):
IN THE GAME OF LOVE

Sophie Blake’s grandfather willed his fortune to the first of his granddaughters to marry a duke. Since her cousin, Deirdre, will seal the deal any day now, the quiet, bookish Sophie can sit back and enjoy her time with the only man she truly adores: Graham. No matter that the part charmer, part scoundrel has absolutely no designs on her! Sophie is content to engage Graham in lively conversation, beat him at cards. . .and probe at the darkness hiding behind his rakish smile.

YOU’VE GOT TO PLAY BY HEART…

Then Graham unexpectedly gains a title, an estate in near ruins and a mountain of debt. If there is any chance of survival he must find a rich wife—quickly. As his hunt for a bride begins, Sophie realizes that she isn’t even in the running. Suddenly no longer content to be a wallflower, Sophie gets a stunning make-over and becomes the belle of the ball. Lots of heads are turning…including Graham’s. But this beauty has secrets of her own. Will she be his salvation or seal his fate




Places to Order Duke Most Wanted at:


My Review:

Passion, intrigue, mystery, and love. You'll find all of these and more in the pages of Duke Most Wanted. Celeste Bradley does a wonderful job at once again bringing to life a set of characters that readers will want to learn more about-- and not just the main characters either. In fact, as much as I enjoyed seeing Graham and Sophie falling for each other, I think the side story of two of the servants, John and Patricia's love was just as entertaining, if only a bit more brief in length.

Although the mystery and secrets found in this story did throw me for a bit, I came to terms with them in the end, when the hero and heroine get their happy ever after. My only problem was the sudden twist that was thrown into the story with less than 50 pages to go. I won't say what it was, you'll have to read and find out for yourself, but it caught me off guard, and I had a bit of trouble adapting to it for a while. In the end, however, I was able to move on after seeing Graham come to terms with his mistake. I just wish this part had been developed a bit more, since we didn't really get to see how he came to realize what he did wrong, and so quickly forgave Sophie...

I liked Duke Most Wanted much more than I did the previous novel in the series, The Duke Next Door, and I think the main reason for that being so lies in the heroine of the book. Sophie was much easier to connect with than Deidre, whose blonde looks and slightly stuck up and shallow attitude annoyed me.

Unlike her cousins Deidre and Phoebe, Sophie was not the most stunningly beautiful woman in Society, and Graham was able to see from the very beginning that her beauty was more than skin deep, though she wasn't unsightly by any means. Because of this, Sophie was more of a strong- willed heroine, one that changed much in the book from the shy and timid girl in the beginning to the fiery lady who brazenly waltzes in on Graham and his ex-lover, quickly snatching off Lady C's wig and smartly taking her down a few pegs with her witty remarks. Although this particular scene helped Graham to realize his true feelings about Sophie, for me the reader, it provided evidence that the heroine was not just another bubbly bimbo, but one that knows what she wants, and will stop at nothing to get it, even when Society would love to crush her dreams.

The great thing about this book is you could see the connection between the characters, especially Graham and Sophie, and more importantly, you could actually see them falling in love. From just being "friends" at the beginning of this book to doing the well known dance around their feelings for each other, to finally saying "I love you" to one another. It didn't seem rushed or unbelievable, it simply felt like true love between them.

4 STARS! Duke Most Wanted provides not only the right amount of romance and passion between the main characters, but side ones as well, along with a few witty and sarcastic remarks to keep the story going. Add in the slight mystery around the heroine, and the secrets she's been hiding all these years, and you're in for a very delightful read!



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This book was not provided for me for review, but is instead one that I bought myself over a year ago.
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Enjoy!


Until Next Time,

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2 comments :

EmilyBryan said...

I love Celeste Bradley's light-hearted tone and smart story lines. Thanks for a great review!

Amenda Animal Trainer said...

Nice review! I will read this book soon...........