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Bachelor Chronicles #3
Love Letters From a Duke
He's at her service . . .
Though she can't afford the coal to heat her drafty Mayfair mansion, Felicity Langley still clings to her dream of marrying a duke—one she's had since her very first curtsy. After all, she's been promised to the very lofty Duke of Hollindrake for the last four years. Now all she has to do is meet him. But what Felicity doesn't realize is that she has met her duke—he's the altogether too handsome man who Felicity has just mistaken . . . for her new footman!
By rights, Thatcher should immediately set this presumptuous chit straight and tell her he has no intention of honoring the arranged betrothal. But he's quickly smitten by Felicity's delightful determination, her irrepressible charm . . . and her breathtaking sensuality. Yes, she'd wed him in an instant were his true identity revealed—but Thatcher's vowed to marry only for love. So begins his deception and his conquest of this uncommon woman who doesn't believe in romance, but is about to find her heart and passion set aflame by the unlikely man she's sworn to resist.
Though she can't afford the coal to heat her drafty Mayfair mansion, Felicity Langley still clings to her dream of marrying a duke—one she's had since her very first curtsy. After all, she's been promised to the very lofty Duke of Hollindrake for the last four years. Now all she has to do is meet him. But what Felicity doesn't realize is that she has met her duke—he's the altogether too handsome man who Felicity has just mistaken . . . for her new footman!
By rights, Thatcher should immediately set this presumptuous chit straight and tell her he has no intention of honoring the arranged betrothal. But he's quickly smitten by Felicity's delightful determination, her irrepressible charm . . . and her breathtaking sensuality. Yes, she'd wed him in an instant were his true identity revealed—but Thatcher's vowed to marry only for love. So begins his deception and his conquest of this uncommon woman who doesn't believe in romance, but is about to find her heart and passion set aflame by the unlikely man she's sworn to resist.
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2007
About the author
Elizabeth Boyle
85 books2,042 followersElizabeth Boyle is the New York Times bestselling author of 27 historical romance novels and several novellas. Her upcoming novel, O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, is a mix of women's fiction and historical fiction, with a bit of magic thrown in. This story of friendship and empowerment is already getting rave reviews.
Her first novel, Brazen Angel, won Dell's Diamond Debut Award and the Romance Writers of America's RITA Award for Best First Book. Her books are called "fast-paced," "adventurous," and "funny."
Not sure where to begin? If you love adventure, try THIS RAKE OF MINE or ONE NIGHT OF PASSION.
If you need to laugh, SOMETHING ABOUT EMMALINE, LOVE LETTERS FROM A DUKE, or THE VISCOUNT WHO LIVED DOWN THE LANE.
Want a little magic in your romance? Try HIS MISTRESS BY MORNING.
When not writing, Elizabeth enjoys knitting, gardening, travel and reading a wide variety of stories. She lives with her family in Seattle.
Sign up for her weekly newsletter, Five Things for Friday on her website. A weekly roundup of books, shows, and things to cook or laugh over, her readers love this weekly laugh.
Her first novel, Brazen Angel, won Dell's Diamond Debut Award and the Romance Writers of America's RITA Award for Best First Book. Her books are called "fast-paced," "adventurous," and "funny."
Not sure where to begin? If you love adventure, try THIS RAKE OF MINE or ONE NIGHT OF PASSION.
If you need to laugh, SOMETHING ABOUT EMMALINE, LOVE LETTERS FROM A DUKE, or THE VISCOUNT WHO LIVED DOWN THE LANE.
Want a little magic in your romance? Try HIS MISTRESS BY MORNING.
When not writing, Elizabeth enjoys knitting, gardening, travel and reading a wide variety of stories. She lives with her family in Seattle.
Sign up for her weekly newsletter, Five Things for Friday on her website. A weekly roundup of books, shows, and things to cook or laugh over, her readers love this weekly laugh.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
August 10, 2022
ummmmm TEN OUT OF TEN
I love the “oops I’ve accidentally mistaken this impossibly strapping, exceedingly virile, and (one can only assume) sexually skilled duke on my doorstep for a footman” trope. Another similar setup is The Marquess Makes His Move by Diana Quincy!
This was just everything I want from a historical romance: hilarious, clever, & a fantastic audiobook!
I love the “oops I’ve accidentally mistaken this impossibly strapping, exceedingly virile, and (one can only assume) sexually skilled duke on my doorstep for a footman” trope. Another similar setup is The Marquess Makes His Move by Diana Quincy!
This was just everything I want from a historical romance: hilarious, clever, & a fantastic audiobook!
June 27, 2019
I liked this book much more than I thought I would. The whole titled lord or lady is confused for servant trope can be really difficult to get right. The plot revolves around deceit and almost always one or both MC's inevitable humiliation. There were times when I thought it veered away from adorably absurd to downright ridiculous but overall, I really enjoyed it. BUT there's always a but, isn't there? But, there were times when it was just all over the place and I couldn't decide whether it was the worst book I've read this year or the best. (Spoiler alert- it was neither). The heroine was so damn annoying but I was still rooting for her. She was mercenary but I really couldn't hold it against her. The hero was deceitful and judgmental but I kind of understood where he was coming from. He could be incredibly charming but then he would do something that would piss me off and I'd go back to thinking he was a pompous ass. I haven't quite figured out how I ended up enjoying a book with two main characters who weren't really all that likable and a plot that was pretty damn absurd. But I did.
Plot: Our heroine is on a mission. Felicity is going to marry a duke. NOTHING AND NO ONE ELSE WILL DO. She sets her sights on the future Duke of Hollindrake, who at the moment, is the Marquess. The current Duke of Hollindrake (well, his secretary) receives a letter from Felicity explaining her qualifications and intentions. Needless to say, when the secretary opens and reads the letter, he laughs so hard he damn near falls out of his chair. The current duke looks at him like he's grown a second head so he shares the letter with the current duke and then they both laugh their asses off, not at Felicity, just out of pure delight. Our plucky heroine has gumption and despite themselves, both the duke and his secretary decided to write back, as the Marquess. For four years. They do indeed promise Felicity that she can marry Thatcher when he returns from the war.
As you can imagine, that doesn't go over well when Thatcher finally does come home. He's never met her, never corresponded with her, and hates the idea of just randomly marrying some woman because he's told to. Because he's never met her and knows she's desperate to marry him, he *(correctly) assumes his fortune and status is the reason Felicity is determined to marry him. He decides to visit her and tell her not only no but hell no before even going home to bathe and change out of his travel-worn clothing (I think he's in his uniform? I may be wrong). When Felicity opens the door she just sees a handsome but incredibly scruffy man dressed for travel, not a duke. Felicity immediately mistakes him for the footman she's requested. Thatcher tries multiple times to set her straight but Felicity won't let him get a word in edgewise and eventually, the idea of not being a duke for a little while longer begins to appeal to Thatcher, so he's like why the hell not. There is also the fact that he's very curious about Felicity's character and what the hell she was thinking of writing all of the letters and feels like this way, he can figure her out. He quickly finds that not all is as it seems. Felicity begins to falls in love with her footman and has to decide whether to continue her mission to marry someone she's never met or someone she loves who happens to be a footman.
There were a couple of things that really stood out in the book.
1) Considering that about 90% of the characters in this book spent about 300 pages of it lying to each other about one thing or another, the fact that it somehow still managed to be sweet and romantic was kind of shocking to me. That is no small feat. I've read other books with similar plots and if the fake identity thing goes on longer than a few chapters, it's not cute, it's cruel. Secondary characters go along with it and say nothing. When the heroine (or hero, I guess) finally finds out, she's humiliated. And rightly so. I end up hating the hero and their HEA comes off as forced. Somehow this book avoided that. I don't even know how, because sometimes I really didn't like Thatcher. He could be an ass. He was an ass. Any man who subscribes to the whole it's always better to ask for forgiveness than permission idea deserves to be called an ass. But every once in a while, Felicity would say something really awful and I would understand Thatcher's determination to discover if what Felicity said and did was genuine or some form of subterfuge. Thatcher wanted to marry for love. The fact that I spent any amount of time actually agreeing with Thatcher and his stupid ass plan baffled me.
2) Unlike most romances (at least, that I read), this book was really about the hero falling in love. Most of the book is from his POV and Felicity's character is revealed slowly through Thatcher's eyes. All you really knew was that you're supposed to like her, to root for her, but you don't actually know much about her. The only thing we're really sure of is her obsession with money, propriety and a perfect image. I certainly didn't blame her for aiming high, marriage-wise. After all, a woman's husband was her only source of income and would be for generations to come. But it still came off a bit mercenary, especially with her obsession with his title. Not just any title. She wasn't just looking for money and a title. She wanted his money and his title. Add to this the fact that there was a distinct lack of internal monologue, even in the chapters from her POV, and I really had to rely on Thatcher's interactions with Felicity to get to know Felicity, just as much as he did. Most of her personality and motivation was revealed from his POV. I felt like this was more his love story than hers.
As for Felicity and Thatcher as characters, I think they were well matched. They were both flawed and okay, if I'm honest, that's just my way of saying I didn't really like them most of the time. They were both at their best and happiest when they were pretending. Thatcher, when he was pretending he was a footman, and Felicity, when she was pretending that anything she did or said before she actually met Hollindrake in person didn't count. You know, stuff like "I can kiss the footman, it doesn't matter, I haven't even met the duke yet!" and just a general attitude of I'm not engaged yet kinda thing. And as much as I'd like to hold this against her, it was Thatcher as the footman who kept egging her on saying but you're not engaged to the duke yet. You haven't even met him yet. He was doing his best to set her up for failure. He was trying to see if she was honorable and genuine while encouraging her to do things with him she really shouldn't have been doing. The more I think about this book and try to make sense of it, the more I realize what a mindfuck it really was. Almost everyone was lying in one way or another, either to each other or themselves, or both. And yet, to my complete and utter surprise, I didn't hate this book. I liked it. Why?
Would I recommend this? Ugh. SUCH HARD QUESTIONS. Honestly, I don't know. I guess it depends on whether you like silly HR plots. Because when it comes down to it, it was silly. It wasn't all super fluffy, but for the most part...there was definite fluffiness going on. Perhaps that's why it was so enjoyable. It was perfectly clear from the beginning that this book wasn't taking itself too seriously. That can excuse a lot. It's hard to be mad about a book's ridiculousness when from the first chapter, it announces quite loudly that it intends to be just that.
Plot: Our heroine is on a mission. Felicity is going to marry a duke. NOTHING AND NO ONE ELSE WILL DO. She sets her sights on the future Duke of Hollindrake, who at the moment, is the Marquess. The current Duke of Hollindrake (well, his secretary) receives a letter from Felicity explaining her qualifications and intentions. Needless to say, when the secretary opens and reads the letter, he laughs so hard he damn near falls out of his chair. The current duke looks at him like he's grown a second head so he shares the letter with the current duke and then they both laugh their asses off, not at Felicity, just out of pure delight. Our plucky heroine has gumption and despite themselves, both the duke and his secretary decided to write back, as the Marquess. For four years. They do indeed promise Felicity that she can marry Thatcher when he returns from the war.
As you can imagine, that doesn't go over well when Thatcher finally does come home. He's never met her, never corresponded with her, and hates the idea of just randomly marrying some woman because he's told to. Because he's never met her and knows she's desperate to marry him, he *(correctly) assumes his fortune and status is the reason Felicity is determined to marry him. He decides to visit her and tell her not only no but hell no before even going home to bathe and change out of his travel-worn clothing (I think he's in his uniform? I may be wrong). When Felicity opens the door she just sees a handsome but incredibly scruffy man dressed for travel, not a duke. Felicity immediately mistakes him for the footman she's requested. Thatcher tries multiple times to set her straight but Felicity won't let him get a word in edgewise and eventually, the idea of not being a duke for a little while longer begins to appeal to Thatcher, so he's like why the hell not. There is also the fact that he's very curious about Felicity's character and what the hell she was thinking of writing all of the letters and feels like this way, he can figure her out. He quickly finds that not all is as it seems. Felicity begins to falls in love with her footman and has to decide whether to continue her mission to marry someone she's never met or someone she loves who happens to be a footman.
There were a couple of things that really stood out in the book.
1) Considering that about 90% of the characters in this book spent about 300 pages of it lying to each other about one thing or another, the fact that it somehow still managed to be sweet and romantic was kind of shocking to me. That is no small feat. I've read other books with similar plots and if the fake identity thing goes on longer than a few chapters, it's not cute, it's cruel. Secondary characters go along with it and say nothing. When the heroine (or hero, I guess) finally finds out, she's humiliated. And rightly so. I end up hating the hero and their HEA comes off as forced. Somehow this book avoided that. I don't even know how, because sometimes I really didn't like Thatcher. He could be an ass. He was an ass. Any man who subscribes to the whole it's always better to ask for forgiveness than permission idea deserves to be called an ass. But every once in a while, Felicity would say something really awful and I would understand Thatcher's determination to discover if what Felicity said and did was genuine or some form of subterfuge. Thatcher wanted to marry for love. The fact that I spent any amount of time actually agreeing with Thatcher and his stupid ass plan baffled me.
2) Unlike most romances (at least, that I read), this book was really about the hero falling in love. Most of the book is from his POV and Felicity's character is revealed slowly through Thatcher's eyes. All you really knew was that you're supposed to like her, to root for her, but you don't actually know much about her. The only thing we're really sure of is her obsession with money, propriety and a perfect image. I certainly didn't blame her for aiming high, marriage-wise. After all, a woman's husband was her only source of income and would be for generations to come. But it still came off a bit mercenary, especially with her obsession with his title. Not just any title. She wasn't just looking for money and a title. She wanted his money and his title. Add to this the fact that there was a distinct lack of internal monologue, even in the chapters from her POV, and I really had to rely on Thatcher's interactions with Felicity to get to know Felicity, just as much as he did. Most of her personality and motivation was revealed from his POV. I felt like this was more his love story than hers.
As for Felicity and Thatcher as characters, I think they were well matched. They were both flawed and okay, if I'm honest, that's just my way of saying I didn't really like them most of the time. They were both at their best and happiest when they were pretending. Thatcher, when he was pretending he was a footman, and Felicity, when she was pretending that anything she did or said before she actually met Hollindrake in person didn't count. You know, stuff like "I can kiss the footman, it doesn't matter, I haven't even met the duke yet!" and just a general attitude of I'm not engaged yet kinda thing. And as much as I'd like to hold this against her, it was Thatcher as the footman who kept egging her on saying but you're not engaged to the duke yet. You haven't even met him yet. He was doing his best to set her up for failure. He was trying to see if she was honorable and genuine while encouraging her to do things with him she really shouldn't have been doing. The more I think about this book and try to make sense of it, the more I realize what a mindfuck it really was. Almost everyone was lying in one way or another, either to each other or themselves, or both. And yet, to my complete and utter surprise, I didn't hate this book. I liked it. Why?
Would I recommend this? Ugh. SUCH HARD QUESTIONS. Honestly, I don't know. I guess it depends on whether you like silly HR plots. Because when it comes down to it, it was silly. It wasn't all super fluffy, but for the most part...there was definite fluffiness going on. Perhaps that's why it was so enjoyable. It was perfectly clear from the beginning that this book wasn't taking itself too seriously. That can excuse a lot. It's hard to be mad about a book's ridiculousness when from the first chapter, it announces quite loudly that it intends to be just that.
July 12, 2016
I am not a happy reader. While the beginning was pretty captivating and charming, the climax and ending was completely disappointing.
Two stars for the really cute beginning that had me grinning like a fool. Otherwise it would've been a big one star for the most unsatisfying ending ever.
Two stars for the really cute beginning that had me grinning like a fool. Otherwise it would've been a big one star for the most unsatisfying ending ever.
April 9, 2008
A solid 4.5 stars. I rounded up. I just loved the premise of the book. She's been corresponding to this Duke (of Hollindrake) for 4 years, and she's practically engaged to him. Except that he hasn't been writing to her--it was his grandfather writing the letters. So he gets back to London and finds out what his gramps has been doing, and goes over to her house to break the whole thing off, but she mistakes him for a footman that "the agency" was supposed to send over. (The real footman never shows... intriguing...) She doesn't give him any opportunity to set the record straight.
So after a couple of days, it's too late to tell her the truth. And he starts to think, "Well, hey--she's cute. Maybe I could get her to ACTUALLY fall in love with me, and then it wouldn't be like she's just marrying me for my title/money/etc.!"
So he proceeds with his plan... trying to make her fall in love with him... kissing her... trying to seduce her... :) It's actually quite hilarious, because she's kissing the footman, but saying she's still going to marry the Duke, and the footman is jealous of the duke, but they're the same person, so he's jealous of himself. I love that. It's great.
Anyway, it was just very very enjoyable. Me gusta.
So after a couple of days, it's too late to tell her the truth. And he starts to think, "Well, hey--she's cute. Maybe I could get her to ACTUALLY fall in love with me, and then it wouldn't be like she's just marrying me for my title/money/etc.!"
So he proceeds with his plan... trying to make her fall in love with him... kissing her... trying to seduce her... :) It's actually quite hilarious, because she's kissing the footman, but saying she's still going to marry the Duke, and the footman is jealous of the duke, but they're the same person, so he's jealous of himself. I love that. It's great.
Anyway, it was just very very enjoyable. Me gusta.
December 4, 2013
2 ½ stars. Not recommended. It’s missing fulfilling feelings. Some will like it because it’s a formulaic regency romance.
STORY BRIEF:
Felicity’s parents are assumed dead. The solicitor who controls her inheritance won’t give her any money for a season (to find a husband). She, her sister, and her cousin come to London anyway. Felicity finds a house that will be vacant for a while. She breaks in and has the locks changed.
Four years ago Felicity sent a letter to the Duke’s heir (Thatcher) saying she wanted to marry a duke and thought he would be a good choice. Thatcher was in the army at the time. Thatcher’s grandfather (the Duke) thought her letter was entertaining, so he began corresponding with her pretending to be Thatcher. This lasted four years until he died. Felicity thinks she is engaged to Thatcher due to the letters, but she has never seen him. When Thatcher returns from the military and learns about the letters, he immediately goes to Felicity to break the engagement. Because he is wearing his battered military clothing, she thinks he is the footman she hired through an agency and treats him as such. He is intrigued and amused and decides to continue the charade, pretending to be the footman.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is a romance novel for someone who is not discriminating about their romance novels. The handsome, rich bachelor has no desire to marry. He meets the beautiful, clever, feisty virgin who has a charming effect on him from the moment he sees her. She has a special smile that makes him wilt (or should I say become aroused). He is entertained to see her living by her wits. He sees her good heart as she does good things for others. Within a couple of days he has fallen in love and wants to marry her. The main suspense is whether she will marry her footman for love or go after the rich Duke she has never met.
This is the type of book that turns some readers away from romance. It’s fluff. It feels like a fairy tale. The main characters are formulaic. The plot could work if other things are done well, but they were not. The main reason I like romance is that good romance causes me to feel loved, desired, fulfilled, and other warm, fuzzy feelings. I didn’t feel that here. I’m not sure why. Maybe because I had a hard time identifying with Felicity. Maybe because she had no vulnerabilities. A second important thing missing was watching a relationship develop. That didn’t happen. He just enjoys what he sees and that’s it. Apparently she realizes she is in love when he kisses her. What else was missing? Interesting, different or humorous dialogue, events, or ideas. I will say the author attempted humor by having a madcap group of characters: a pickpocket, a lock picker, a girl in love with a pirate, a drunk cook, and a promiscuous, beautiful, and very seductive former nanny. But things were not humorous to me. Not once did I smile.
Then the author used one of my pet peeves: vague communication and inaccurate assumptions to create conflict.
In summary, I was not engaged. It barely kept my interest. Who should read this? Maybe teenage girls or the young-at-heart who want a fairytale romance and don’t require anything else.
DATA:
Story length: 353 pages. Swearing language: mild. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 3. Number of sex scene pages: 10. Setting 1814 London, England. Copyright: 2007. Genre: regency romance.
STORY BRIEF:
Felicity’s parents are assumed dead. The solicitor who controls her inheritance won’t give her any money for a season (to find a husband). She, her sister, and her cousin come to London anyway. Felicity finds a house that will be vacant for a while. She breaks in and has the locks changed.
Four years ago Felicity sent a letter to the Duke’s heir (Thatcher) saying she wanted to marry a duke and thought he would be a good choice. Thatcher was in the army at the time. Thatcher’s grandfather (the Duke) thought her letter was entertaining, so he began corresponding with her pretending to be Thatcher. This lasted four years until he died. Felicity thinks she is engaged to Thatcher due to the letters, but she has never seen him. When Thatcher returns from the military and learns about the letters, he immediately goes to Felicity to break the engagement. Because he is wearing his battered military clothing, she thinks he is the footman she hired through an agency and treats him as such. He is intrigued and amused and decides to continue the charade, pretending to be the footman.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is a romance novel for someone who is not discriminating about their romance novels. The handsome, rich bachelor has no desire to marry. He meets the beautiful, clever, feisty virgin who has a charming effect on him from the moment he sees her. She has a special smile that makes him wilt (or should I say become aroused). He is entertained to see her living by her wits. He sees her good heart as she does good things for others. Within a couple of days he has fallen in love and wants to marry her. The main suspense is whether she will marry her footman for love or go after the rich Duke she has never met.
This is the type of book that turns some readers away from romance. It’s fluff. It feels like a fairy tale. The main characters are formulaic. The plot could work if other things are done well, but they were not. The main reason I like romance is that good romance causes me to feel loved, desired, fulfilled, and other warm, fuzzy feelings. I didn’t feel that here. I’m not sure why. Maybe because I had a hard time identifying with Felicity. Maybe because she had no vulnerabilities. A second important thing missing was watching a relationship develop. That didn’t happen. He just enjoys what he sees and that’s it. Apparently she realizes she is in love when he kisses her. What else was missing? Interesting, different or humorous dialogue, events, or ideas. I will say the author attempted humor by having a madcap group of characters: a pickpocket, a lock picker, a girl in love with a pirate, a drunk cook, and a promiscuous, beautiful, and very seductive former nanny. But things were not humorous to me. Not once did I smile.
Then the author used one of my pet peeves: vague communication and inaccurate assumptions to create conflict.
In summary, I was not engaged. It barely kept my interest. Who should read this? Maybe teenage girls or the young-at-heart who want a fairytale romance and don’t require anything else.
DATA:
Story length: 353 pages. Swearing language: mild. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 3. Number of sex scene pages: 10. Setting 1814 London, England. Copyright: 2007. Genre: regency romance.
Shelved as 'dnf-too-early-to-mark-it-read'
July 28, 2024Not really understanding the plot and side plots
This book is most definitely not a standalone.
I went back to my review for Something About Emmaline to see if there was anything about it that hinted about a continuing plotline. But there was nothing.
I skipped the previous book because there's a super long separation and I'm not a fan of those. But apparently these two are super connected because I felt as if I was dropped in the middle of a story.
I'm not the biggest fan of hidden identities but I wasn't hating this. I was hoping the reason she wants to marry a duke would somehow be explained well later.
Unfortunately, I will never know because there's just too much going on that we should know and too many new things that we're supposed to find out and I'm lost.
Such a shame because I adore the narrator, Susan Duerden ♡
This book is most definitely not a standalone.
I went back to my review for Something About Emmaline to see if there was anything about it that hinted about a continuing plotline. But there was nothing.
I skipped the previous book because there's a super long separation and I'm not a fan of those. But apparently these two are super connected because I felt as if I was dropped in the middle of a story.
I'm not the biggest fan of hidden identities but I wasn't hating this. I was hoping the reason she wants to marry a duke would somehow be explained well later.
Unfortunately, I will never know because there's just too much going on that we should know and too many new things that we're supposed to find out and I'm lost.
Such a shame because I adore the narrator, Susan Duerden ♡
November 25, 2017
This was so funny at times. The heroine was the best ! She can be annoying at times with her bossiness but she was so much fun to read. I just kept on reading and waiting to see what the hell she would come up with next. She was an original type of heroine. I loved how she knew what she wanted and set out to get it without being turned into a boring bluestocking type of caricature. She was perfect for the hero. The poor guy didn't know what hit him when he met the heroine. The hero's mistaken identity caused great humour in the novel and I loved the way he protected the heroine from her bitchy former school friend.
March 13, 2022
3.5 stars
I tend to be a sucker for a plot where the hero and heroine gets to know each other better without their titles preventing them from fully bonding. Because that way, there isn’t any walls preventing them from being true selves.
Thatcher and Felicity spent a great deal of time just bonding and knowing each other as normal people and I just love that because it makes me believe their relationship is authentic.
Though I was surprised that Thatcher’s deception lasted very long, it didn’t bother me all that much because he had a reason for doing so; he wanted Felicity to choose him, not because of her obligation to her family. Because he wanted her to choose him for himself, not for his title, he removed all of the obstacles that may prevent her from choosing him—Thatcher the footman, and I felt that was romantic of him.
This book was very enjoyable. I liked the banter and the relationship building between Thatcher & Felicity.
As much I enjoyed this book, I felt there wasn’t enough of backstories for Thatcher & Felicity for me to pump the rating up higher. I would prefer that they talked about their backgrounds more as that would help their bonding much more.
The part between Dash & Pipp confused me because I didn’t finish John’s book. It felt out of place in this book.
I tend to be a sucker for a plot where the hero and heroine gets to know each other better without their titles preventing them from fully bonding. Because that way, there isn’t any walls preventing them from being true selves.
Thatcher and Felicity spent a great deal of time just bonding and knowing each other as normal people and I just love that because it makes me believe their relationship is authentic.
Though I was surprised that Thatcher’s deception lasted very long, it didn’t bother me all that much because he had a reason for doing so; he wanted Felicity to choose him, not because of her obligation to her family. Because he wanted her to choose him for himself, not for his title, he removed all of the obstacles that may prevent her from choosing him—Thatcher the footman, and I felt that was romantic of him.
This book was very enjoyable. I liked the banter and the relationship building between Thatcher & Felicity.
As much I enjoyed this book, I felt there wasn’t enough of backstories for Thatcher & Felicity for me to pump the rating up higher. I would prefer that they talked about their backgrounds more as that would help their bonding much more.
The part between Dash & Pipp confused me because I didn’t finish John’s book. It felt out of place in this book.
April 16, 2012
Enjoying this book was mildly surprising. Not that Ms. Boyle is a bad writer, but I haven't really clicked with her and read this book in desperation for a HR. From the previous book, I wasn't exactly all in for the Langley sister either, so understandably, I was hesitant to enjoy this book.
Felicity Langley, is determined to marry a Duke. Not sure why it HAS to be a duke, but only a duke would do. She has set her sights on the 10th Duke of Hollindrake, who she's corresponded with for a few years. That is, until the 9th Duke's death, who also happens to be the person she had been writing to. Anyway, Thatcher, our hero and duke is surprised to find that his crumegeon of a grandfather has set him to marry Felicity Langley. In attempts to break of their "relationship" he visits her and is mistaken to be the new footman. And this begins the game of mistaken identity, leading Felicity to chose between the footman she's fallen in love with verses the duke who has still not come call and marry her, without knowing that they are one and the same.
Felicity, despite her lofty ambitions to marry a Duke, was very likeable. She's the responsible sort, but not in the grating way. She was very good at managing scandalous situations. I am impressed with her ingenuity - which far surpasses any of our heroes'. Thatcher is also likeable, and the blame for the mistaken identity would normally be placed on him, but he did try to rectify the problem. Our heroine just didn't want to hear it and then the situation changed where it was hard for him to tell, and so on. I'm not in love with the man, but I liked him for being grounded and a generally good person.
Overall, I think this is Ms. Boyle's best book. I had a wonderful time with her characters. I will gladly continue reading her books, if she brings 'it' to all of of her other books.
Felicity Langley, is determined to marry a Duke. Not sure why it HAS to be a duke, but only a duke would do. She has set her sights on the 10th Duke of Hollindrake, who she's corresponded with for a few years. That is, until the 9th Duke's death, who also happens to be the person she had been writing to. Anyway, Thatcher, our hero and duke is surprised to find that his crumegeon of a grandfather has set him to marry Felicity Langley. In attempts to break of their "relationship" he visits her and is mistaken to be the new footman. And this begins the game of mistaken identity, leading Felicity to chose between the footman she's fallen in love with verses the duke who has still not come call and marry her, without knowing that they are one and the same.
Felicity, despite her lofty ambitions to marry a Duke, was very likeable. She's the responsible sort, but not in the grating way. She was very good at managing scandalous situations. I am impressed with her ingenuity - which far surpasses any of our heroes'. Thatcher is also likeable, and the blame for the mistaken identity would normally be placed on him, but he did try to rectify the problem. Our heroine just didn't want to hear it and then the situation changed where it was hard for him to tell, and so on. I'm not in love with the man, but I liked him for being grounded and a generally good person.
Overall, I think this is Ms. Boyle's best book. I had a wonderful time with her characters. I will gladly continue reading her books, if she brings 'it' to all of of her other books.
December 3, 2015
Felicity Langley has been planning on marrying the Duke of Hollindrake for at least 4 years. She has letters and everything! The Duke of Holllindake AKA Thatcher, meanwhile, has just gotten back from some time on the Continent doing war and is uninterested in his alleged bride. But when he goes to break things off, Felicity mistakes him for a footman and because this is a ROMANCE DEMMIT, he plays along until his ~feelings get in the way.
1. There's something extraordinarily empty about the characters vs. setting in this book. Thatcher kisses Felicity like a billion times in public. He attempts to seduce her on a window seat in a house also occupied by her sister, cousin, former nanny and adopted Aunt. There didn't seem to be any weight to anything because none of the rules of the real world dared impinge upon the text.
2. I haven't been so unmoved by feelings and boners in quite a few books.
3. Felicity was boring. Thatcher was equally as boring. I didn't understand them; nothing made them unique or special or memorable.
4. My review for Love Letters From a Duke would probably be nice if I hadn't finished The Taming of the Duke between now and then.
1. There's something extraordinarily empty about the characters vs. setting in this book. Thatcher kisses Felicity like a billion times in public. He attempts to seduce her on a window seat in a house also occupied by her sister, cousin, former nanny and adopted Aunt. There didn't seem to be any weight to anything because none of the rules of the real world dared impinge upon the text.
2. I haven't been so unmoved by feelings and boners in quite a few books.
3. Felicity was boring. Thatcher was equally as boring. I didn't understand them; nothing made them unique or special or memorable.
4. My review for Love Letters From a Duke would probably be nice if I hadn't finished The Taming of the Duke between now and then.
May 14, 2021
4 stars! This is a light and fairly funny read. I really enjoyed it! I wish this book wasn’t a part of a series with 1000 other characters, because I really don’t want to read most of the books in the series.
Safe; heroine virgin, hero was a manwhore before he went off to war & some of his escapades are described but it’s really more humorous than anything else.
Safe; heroine virgin, hero was a manwhore before he went off to war & some of his escapades are described but it’s really more humorous than anything else.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2013
This book really made Felicity shine. She was simply an ambitious, conniving chit back in This Rake of Mine. But here, she was a female really worth looking up to. Behind masks, she's actually a practical but caring sister and cousin who tamps down dreams for propriety and for their sakes.
And Thatcher, devil take the man, despite his pig-headedness and deception, I was in love with him even before I was halfway through the book. Definitely understand how this can be frustrating to Felicity. Really, falling in love with him was inevitable
Overall, I loved the turn of events. Sometimes Miss Boyle hits off the mark when it comes to endings though she makes good story-starters and middles (like Something About Emmaline. But this one was thoroughly engaging from start to finish (Is it any wonder I chose reading it over studying for my exam?)
And Thatcher, devil take the man, despite his pig-headedness and deception, I was in love with him even before I was halfway through the book. Definitely understand how this can be frustrating to Felicity. Really, falling in love with him was inevitable
Overall, I loved the turn of events. Sometimes Miss Boyle hits off the mark when it comes to endings though she makes good story-starters and middles (like Something About Emmaline. But this one was thoroughly engaging from start to finish (Is it any wonder I chose reading it over studying for my exam?)
January 2, 2014
This was a cute little regency romance about a poor heroine who mistakes the Duke of Hollindrake for the new footman she is planning to hire. I found I liked this light, frivolous read - Elizabeth Boyle uses humour well and crafts a fairly original (albeit slightly comical) plot.
If you like Julia Quinn, Elizabeth Hoyt or Laura Lee Guhrke (I'm thinking And Then He Kissed Her) then it is quite likely you will enjoy this one. I wouldn't rush to read this though - maybe leave it for a slow reading period.
If you like Julia Quinn, Elizabeth Hoyt or Laura Lee Guhrke (I'm thinking And Then He Kissed Her) then it is quite likely you will enjoy this one. I wouldn't rush to read this though - maybe leave it for a slow reading period.
January 5, 2014
EB can be a hit or miss read for me, but this one was one sweet hit. I laughed several times at the zany antics of Felicity and the lengths she was willing to go to in order to hold her little family together. Very good read.
March 17, 2015
Overall a fun read. A few slow spots, but not enough to take away from enjoying it.
October 27, 2020
The hero lied to the heroine for 16 of 18 chapters. How could I possibly like him? So disappointed.
January 21, 2019
Thatcher, a rake turned into an hero during the war, finds himself a duke even if, originally, 3rd in line for the title.
He does not want to be the Duke of Hollindrake.
He'd rather be Captain Thatcher, a name he used to buy a commission and escape his grandfather’s control.
He learns that his grandfather wasn't the despot he thought he was and, in the end, he only wanted the best for him.
When a cheeky young girl sends him a letter asking for his rascal nephew's hand in marriage, he sees a possibility to give him the happiness he never had.
“This Miss Langley is proposing that Lord Stan-don consider her hand in marriage.” Gibbens then closed his eyes and braced himself for the pending explosion.
None came. And after an indecent amount of silence, he peeked out through his lashes and discovered the old duke engrossed in reading the letter for himself. Then the second noteworthy event occurred that day.
The duke laughed.
“Some cheek!” he said, once he gathered his wits about him. “She has the audacity to inquire about the state of my health. Probably be demmed disappointed to find me fit and hardy, I wager.” He set the letter down on his desk and laughed again.
“Yes, Your Grace,” his secretary agreed. “Quite presump-
tuous.”
“Exactly!” the duke declared. “Which is why we are going to answer it.”
“Answer it, Your Grace?” A sense of foreboding ran down the secretary’s spine.
“Of course! Why, I suspect any chit with this much brass would make a most excellent duchess. And further, I’d wa-
ger she’d bring that rapscallion grandson of mine to heel.”
20 years old Miss Felicity Langley aka “Duchess” has a very clear plan for her future and she's determined to make it a reality.
“But a duke? Why wouldn’t a nicely landed marquess or a long-lined earl do?”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand—a duke is so much more than any of them. A duke is heroic, and noble, a knight errant, if you will. The kind of man who is handsome and carries himself with a self-assurance that commands the respect of one and all. And above all, he is a proper English gentleman who expects a proper English lady for his bride.” She shook the snow off her cloak. “Really, what else is there left for me to do but become a duchess?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea,” he mused, for really all he’d done to become the duke was be the next available Sterling, and he certainly possessed none of the characteristics she’d listed.
She huffed a sigh and glanced over at the passing throng of visitors on the ice. “I think what I will like the most is the respect that comes with being a duchess. I won’t have to endure Sarah Browne’s slights ever again. She won’t dare. ”
She's focused, she's confident, she's smart and she's been gathering all the knowledge necessary to reach her goal in the “Bachelors Chronicles”.
The diary is Duchess’ personal masterpiece that will help her find her perfect Duke while helping friends and family looking for their own perfect match.
Problem is her Duke of choice has vanished and a handsome new footman is in town...
I met “Duchess”, Tally and Pippin, in "This Rake of Mine" where they were 3 very young girls trying their hands at matchmaking for the first time. They are quite the trio! 😂
I truly enjoyed the book from beginning to HFN ending but I wished the 4 years of correspondence and the grandson/grandfather relationship were handled a bit differently.
I also wished that all the things Jack Tremont tells Thatcher about his grandfather's true intentions were explored a bit more.
Even at the end, the "revelation" (to the hero) that the heroine was talking 4 years to the hero's grandfather is kind of glossed over.
That's why this book wasn't a perfect 5 stars for me but it's close enough😁
This is a light, humorous and engaging read.
I enjoyed the implausible misunderstanding between Felicity and Thatcher when he visits her to end the engagement...
Aunt Geneva sighed. “Still, I suppose she was quite un-
done by her loss.”
Thatcher glanced up from the laden plate that had just been put before him. “Hardly. When I left her, I do believe she was quite elated. She offered me a fine salary for my troubles.”
She paused, her teacup halfway to her lips. “A salary? To be her husband?”
“No. To be her new footman.” He paused and waited and then it came.
Geneva coughed and sputtered, nearly dropping the Wedg-
wood piece. “Her what?”
“You heard me perfectly,” he replied. “I am Miss Lang-ley’s new footman.”
...and how Felicity respects him for the man he is instead of the footman position she believes he occupies.
“Hollindrake once wrote to me that the men who fight for a cause, a noble one, have more honor than any mere gentle-
man. That you have seen things, done things, that can rend apart even the stoutest of hearts. And since you are here, and appear to be whole, I must conclude you are a brave and honorable man, and therefore hardly my lesser, even if you are our footman.”
Felicity's train of thoughts and out loud reasoning is always hilarious...
“And this house? However could you afford such an address—even if it is empty?”
She winced. “Do you really want to know?”
“Yes, of course,” he said. In for a penny, out for a pound. But in truth he was more focused on getting this last nail to pop free, and even as he pressed all his weight against the bar, she made her confession.
“We aren’t really renting it, more like borrowing it with-
out permission.”
The nail gave way with a great pop and the lid came flipping off. The bar flew next, and Thatcher went pitching head first onto the floor.
“You should be more careful,” Felicity told him, point-
ing at the floor. “I don’t want that marble chipped. Looks Italian.”
Thatcher propped himself up. How the devil did one bor-
row a house without the owner’s consent, unless they were . . . “You’re squatting in someone else’s house and you are worried about the floors?”
“Squatting? What an ugly word. Borrowing sounds somuch more . . .”
“Proper?” he teased.
She brightened considerably. “Exactly.”
... Yep, she's always everything figured out in her mind...
Sussex, I will have you know, is a veritable desert.”
“But whatever possessed you to think you could attempt all this? Did you ever once consider what would happen if you were caught?”
Felicity glanced up at him as if he had just questioned the color of the sky or the King’s paternity. “When in doubt, a lady always appears to be completely in the right,” she said with her usual air of supreme confidence.
“What?”
“When in doubt—”
He shook his head. “No, I know what you said, but wher-
ever did you hear such nonsense?”
“Nanny Tasha.”
He was starting to wonder if an ounce of morality could be found amongst all these nannies of theirs. “I doubt she meant for you to steal a house.”
“Stealing? I prefer to think of our residency as maintain-
ing the house’s character. Why, it would be going to damp if we weren’t here keeping it warm.”
The secondary characters are all fun and great additions to the story, awesome to see a bit of “Mad Jack” from “this Rake of mine” and other characters from previous book.
The romance and plot are completely implausible but totally charming.
I LOVED EVERY SECOND^_^
“Whatever am I to do with you now?”
She shook a finger at him. “You’ll marry me. Right now. Here. Tonight. I’ll not be ruined anymore. I want to be a proper wife.”
He laughed. “Felicity, you will never be a proper wife.”
“But I’ll be your wife. Dear Thad-her, I want to be your wife. I love you. I really do. I realized it today. When I told Tally and Pippin that I loved you, I knew it must be true. And I wouldn’t trade you for all the ducal coronets in the world. Not a single one.”
“You love me?” he asked. He couldn’t quite believe it. Yet here she was. And she’d come to him of her own free will. By following her passion.
“With all my heart,” she told him, her lips forming a lop-
sided smile.
“And this isn’t the wine talking, but you?” he asked, kneel-
ing down before her.
“No. I was quite definite on that fact before I drank too much.” She paused and blinked, looking around the room as if seeing it for the first time. “Am I drunk?”
⭐ 4.5 Stars rounded up⭐
~ My Ratings ~
Writing: 4 /5
Plot: 4 /5
Hero: 4.5 /5
Heroine: 4.5 /5
Secondary Characters: 5 /5
MC's chemistry: 4 /5
Steam: 3 /5
Triggers: Hero doesn't clear up a misunderstanding letting the heroine believe he's someone else. No major triggers, explicit sex.
Recommended to: Historical Romance Readers!
Are you looking for a specific mix of ingredients for your next read?
April 4, 2019
In fact I had the following book CONFESSIONS OF A LITTLE BLACK GOWN stored in my kindle but when I checked Goodreads reviews, I discovered it was a kind of two parts story, one for each twin sisters and the book I had was the second.
So I purchased this one.
Everything was rather utterly unbelievable but Mrs Boyle crafted it in such a way, that it become so wonderfully enjoyable that I had nothing to do if it was a bit far-fetched.
I laughed, smiled and swooned.
Felicity and Thatcher are heroes as I love them, they are able to see their errors but aim to right them even if they are rather hot-tempered people acting sometimes on impulse and came to regret it.
I first I wondered why Felicity was so inclined to marry her duke, someone she never met. She might be in dire need of funds but why this duke.
Then slowly her true nature was revealed, she has a heart bigger than herself and even if she has some hope to have a nice marriage with her duke, she aims to protect those she thinks under her care, and nothing is better than to be under a duke’s protection.
She just never expected to fall for her new footman, a man who turns her view of love upside down.
Thatcher or Lord Sterling or the new Duke Of Hollindrake does agree to find himself betrothed to an unknown chit when he just comes back home in his new tittle.
Not he expected to be entranced by said chit and so much he entered her game of winning her duke’s heart but in making her fall for him as Thatcher, the new hired footman and not Hollinbrake the duke.
Then began Thatcher unconventional wooing, trying to show her she must not choose wealth over love, that she must let go of her prim and proper facade to enjoy life at the fullest, and it can’t be without him.
I loved their struggles, him needing to be certain she would choose him for himself and not his dukedom and her fighting her attraction for him because she thought she was doing the right thing for her family.
A wonderful and humorous historical romantic comedy.
So I purchased this one.
Everything was rather utterly unbelievable but Mrs Boyle crafted it in such a way, that it become so wonderfully enjoyable that I had nothing to do if it was a bit far-fetched.
I laughed, smiled and swooned.
Felicity and Thatcher are heroes as I love them, they are able to see their errors but aim to right them even if they are rather hot-tempered people acting sometimes on impulse and came to regret it.
I first I wondered why Felicity was so inclined to marry her duke, someone she never met. She might be in dire need of funds but why this duke.
Then slowly her true nature was revealed, she has a heart bigger than herself and even if she has some hope to have a nice marriage with her duke, she aims to protect those she thinks under her care, and nothing is better than to be under a duke’s protection.
She just never expected to fall for her new footman, a man who turns her view of love upside down.
Thatcher or Lord Sterling or the new Duke Of Hollindrake does agree to find himself betrothed to an unknown chit when he just comes back home in his new tittle.
Not he expected to be entranced by said chit and so much he entered her game of winning her duke’s heart but in making her fall for him as Thatcher, the new hired footman and not Hollinbrake the duke.
Then began Thatcher unconventional wooing, trying to show her she must not choose wealth over love, that she must let go of her prim and proper facade to enjoy life at the fullest, and it can’t be without him.
I loved their struggles, him needing to be certain she would choose him for himself and not his dukedom and her fighting her attraction for him because she thought she was doing the right thing for her family.
A wonderful and humorous historical romantic comedy.
July 18, 2018
Felicity is determined to marry a Duke, and luckily has been corresponding with the heir to one since she was in finishing school, and they're now all but engaged. Except she finally made it to London with her sister and cousin and is scraping together a season, and she hasn't heard from him! Thatcher, the Duke in question, didn't realize his grandfather had been corresponding on his behalf with a prospective wife, and goes to find Felicity and beg off. But when she mistakes him for the new footman, how can he resist getting to know her and her unconventional household?
This was really silly and I liked it a lot, but should definitely have read book 2 in this series before this one, as a lot of the background plot made no sense.
This was really silly and I liked it a lot, but should definitely have read book 2 in this series before this one, as a lot of the background plot made no sense.
October 17, 2024
Completely over the top plot rescued by remarkable characters and the ability to surprise all the way to the end. Plus it’s just endearing.
May 27, 2011
cerita yg sangat menyegarkan......
bercerita ttg Miss Felicity Langley, putri sulung late Earl of Langley, yg sejak bbrp tahun yg lalu bersurat2an dengan Duke of Hollingsworth. masalahnya felicity mengira dia bersurat2an dengan Aubrey, cucu sang duke, tp ternyata malah si kakek sedang si cucu masih di medan perang.
bertahun2 berlalu si kakek sudah meninggal, aubrey sudah kembali untuk mengambil alih tugasnya sbg seorang duke & tau ttg scheme yg dibuat sang kakek.
duke muda tidak setuju dengan perjodohan tersebut & ingin membatalkannya. tanpa buang waktu sang duke menemui felicity. tp waktu menemui dandannnya masih acak2an & tidak mencerminkan seorang duke.
kebetulan felicity & adik serta sepupunya lady pippa sedang menunggu footman baru mereka yg dikirim agency. ketika duke datang eh felicity ngira itu footman baru mereka.
semua ucapan duke tidak digubris felicity.
yaahhhh pasrah sang duke jadi thatcher, footman baru dikediaman langley.
ngomong2 itu bukan kediaman langley tp hasil "pinjam" felicity. wakakakakakaka nekat bener rumah orang ditempati tanpa ijin.
yah apa boleh buat habis pengacara sang ayah yg mengurusi warisan mereka pelitnya ga kira2. dia menekan banget pengeluaran felicity hingga membuat felicity harus mencari cara sendiri untuk hidup.
tp felicity juga udah bagus2 hidup di sussex, dirumah pippa dia ngotot ke london karna dengar kabar duke of hollingworth muda sudah kembali ke london.
thatcher sudah berulang kali diingatkan bahkan oleh jack & temple (2 orang sahabat felicity yg sangat mengenal & menyayangi felicity juga sahabat thatcher) jangan mempermainkan felicity jika felicity sampai tau thatcher akan jadi korban tembakan felicity secara felicity jago tembak.
thatcher tadinya mengira felicity spt gadis2 lainnya yg mengejar harta & title.
tp lama2 bergaul dengan keluarga langley membuat thatcher lebih mengenal pribadi felicity.
tadinya thatcher curiga kenapa semua memanggil felicity "duchess" tp ternyata itu adl panggilan yg diberikan Lord Templeton sejak dulu.
sekali2nya thatcher memutuskan felicity akan menjadi duchess nya eh dia merayu felicity di orangery kediaman keluarga temple. weleh ini cowoq2 kenapa selalu gerak cepat amat ya???
lha lucunya nih baru asik2nya bercumbu rayu tiba2 diruang dansa ada keramaian lady pippa disandera captain dashwell, the handsome pirate.
tanpa buang waktu felicity ngabur ke ruang dansa tanpa mikir dia kelupaan aksesoris2 gaunnya & nembak dashwell.
thatcher bengong buset nih ceweq bener2 jago tembak.
saat yg lainnya takut nembak dashwell bakal kena pippa eh felicity nembak tepat tanpa mencederai pippa gitu aja felicity ngomel bilang tembakannya tidak tepat... hah????!!!!!
ngikik2 deh waktu lord temple mengembalikan wig, wings & stocking felicity ke kediaman duke hellingworth, wakakakakakaka......
untung jack ga beneran mengajak thatcher duel, yahhh daripada felicity belum2 udah jadi janda??
ngomong2 soal felicity jd janda si thatcher dengan wujudnya sbg seorang footman melamar felicity (dia kebingungan kudu buka samarannya bagaimana jadi dia berinisiatif menikahi felicity dulu baru membuka samarannya).
oh ya mereka menikah. felicity rela melepas impiannya mjd duchess & menikahi orang biasa demi cinta (menikah dalam keadaan mabuk tuh si felicity :p).
merasa harus bertanggung jwb pada duke hellworth felicity berniat menemui & meminta maaf eh ternyata yg ditemui adl suami yg baru saja dinikahinya. ups.....
ngambeklah felicity & lari ke pelukan sahabat2nya tersayang meninggalkan thatcher yg udah jatuh tertimpa tangga pula gara2 dimarahi ibundanya.
mana si ibunda udah tau anaknya kebingungan nyari sang istri diam2 aja kalo sebenarnya si ibu tau dimana felicity bersembunyi......
tau darimana lady charles??? siapa lagi kalo bukan 2 adik2 felicity yg gemar ikut campur & mak comblang.
yahhh gabeda dengan felicity sih yg mak comblang kelas berat.
berkat felicity & ke 2 adiknya mereka mempersatukan templeton & jack dengan istri2 tercinta mereka.
yahhh sekarang giliran felicity yg dibantuin khan^^
novel ini sangat menyegarkan & menarik.
ada2 aja tingkah felicity dengan akal2nya juga thatcher yg katanya footman tp berani amat menggoda mistress nya.
belum lagi si bibi yg ternyata "bertangan cepat"
suasana belum lengkap dengan nanny jemima yg mantan duchess juga mantan princess.
suasana yg benar2 meriah
bercerita ttg Miss Felicity Langley, putri sulung late Earl of Langley, yg sejak bbrp tahun yg lalu bersurat2an dengan Duke of Hollingsworth. masalahnya felicity mengira dia bersurat2an dengan Aubrey, cucu sang duke, tp ternyata malah si kakek sedang si cucu masih di medan perang.
bertahun2 berlalu si kakek sudah meninggal, aubrey sudah kembali untuk mengambil alih tugasnya sbg seorang duke & tau ttg scheme yg dibuat sang kakek.
duke muda tidak setuju dengan perjodohan tersebut & ingin membatalkannya. tanpa buang waktu sang duke menemui felicity. tp waktu menemui dandannnya masih acak2an & tidak mencerminkan seorang duke.
kebetulan felicity & adik serta sepupunya lady pippa sedang menunggu footman baru mereka yg dikirim agency. ketika duke datang eh felicity ngira itu footman baru mereka.
semua ucapan duke tidak digubris felicity.
yaahhhh pasrah sang duke jadi thatcher, footman baru dikediaman langley.
ngomong2 itu bukan kediaman langley tp hasil "pinjam" felicity. wakakakakakaka nekat bener rumah orang ditempati tanpa ijin.
yah apa boleh buat habis pengacara sang ayah yg mengurusi warisan mereka pelitnya ga kira2. dia menekan banget pengeluaran felicity hingga membuat felicity harus mencari cara sendiri untuk hidup.
tp felicity juga udah bagus2 hidup di sussex, dirumah pippa dia ngotot ke london karna dengar kabar duke of hollingworth muda sudah kembali ke london.
thatcher sudah berulang kali diingatkan bahkan oleh jack & temple (2 orang sahabat felicity yg sangat mengenal & menyayangi felicity juga sahabat thatcher) jangan mempermainkan felicity jika felicity sampai tau thatcher akan jadi korban tembakan felicity secara felicity jago tembak.
thatcher tadinya mengira felicity spt gadis2 lainnya yg mengejar harta & title.
tp lama2 bergaul dengan keluarga langley membuat thatcher lebih mengenal pribadi felicity.
tadinya thatcher curiga kenapa semua memanggil felicity "duchess" tp ternyata itu adl panggilan yg diberikan Lord Templeton sejak dulu.
sekali2nya thatcher memutuskan felicity akan menjadi duchess nya eh dia merayu felicity di orangery kediaman keluarga temple. weleh ini cowoq2 kenapa selalu gerak cepat amat ya???
lha lucunya nih baru asik2nya bercumbu rayu tiba2 diruang dansa ada keramaian lady pippa disandera captain dashwell, the handsome pirate.
tanpa buang waktu felicity ngabur ke ruang dansa tanpa mikir dia kelupaan aksesoris2 gaunnya & nembak dashwell.
thatcher bengong buset nih ceweq bener2 jago tembak.
saat yg lainnya takut nembak dashwell bakal kena pippa eh felicity nembak tepat tanpa mencederai pippa gitu aja felicity ngomel bilang tembakannya tidak tepat... hah????!!!!!
ngikik2 deh waktu lord temple mengembalikan wig, wings & stocking felicity ke kediaman duke hellingworth, wakakakakakaka......
untung jack ga beneran mengajak thatcher duel, yahhh daripada felicity belum2 udah jadi janda??
ngomong2 soal felicity jd janda si thatcher dengan wujudnya sbg seorang footman melamar felicity (dia kebingungan kudu buka samarannya bagaimana jadi dia berinisiatif menikahi felicity dulu baru membuka samarannya).
oh ya mereka menikah. felicity rela melepas impiannya mjd duchess & menikahi orang biasa demi cinta (menikah dalam keadaan mabuk tuh si felicity :p).
merasa harus bertanggung jwb pada duke hellworth felicity berniat menemui & meminta maaf eh ternyata yg ditemui adl suami yg baru saja dinikahinya. ups.....
ngambeklah felicity & lari ke pelukan sahabat2nya tersayang meninggalkan thatcher yg udah jatuh tertimpa tangga pula gara2 dimarahi ibundanya.
mana si ibunda udah tau anaknya kebingungan nyari sang istri diam2 aja kalo sebenarnya si ibu tau dimana felicity bersembunyi......
tau darimana lady charles??? siapa lagi kalo bukan 2 adik2 felicity yg gemar ikut campur & mak comblang.
yahhh gabeda dengan felicity sih yg mak comblang kelas berat.
berkat felicity & ke 2 adiknya mereka mempersatukan templeton & jack dengan istri2 tercinta mereka.
yahhh sekarang giliran felicity yg dibantuin khan^^
novel ini sangat menyegarkan & menarik.
ada2 aja tingkah felicity dengan akal2nya juga thatcher yg katanya footman tp berani amat menggoda mistress nya.
belum lagi si bibi yg ternyata "bertangan cepat"
suasana belum lengkap dengan nanny jemima yg mantan duchess juga mantan princess.
suasana yg benar2 meriah
February 8, 2023
4.25⭐️
What a charming story of mistaken identify. I’m definitely partial to an historical romance and this was just an enjoyable story. Like how the story unfolded and the eventual reveal occurre between Felicity and her Duke.
This book is part of a series, but I am yet to read the earlier books. There were a couple of things I think would have made more sense if I had read those. But didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.
| Synopsis |
Felicity has been left penny less until she marries. However, she has a plan to travel to London for the season all in the hopes of making her engagement to the Duke official. After years of corespondents she is unaware that she was actually writing with the Dukes late grandfather. When he arrives at her door to put an end to the match, he gets mistaken for a footmen. And becomes intrigued but the shrewd Felicity.
Feliciry also has a side project titled the Bachelor Chronicles which is similar in tone to Lady Whistledown but she acts more as a matchmaker.
“I am Holindrake. I am Hollindrake. He practiced…Still unwilling to make the loud and lofty public statement leave his free wheeling life as Thatcher” - the Duke
Sweet that her presence alone means he is required to practice revealing himself to be the Duke.
Themes:
• regency romance
• mistaken identity
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Listened to on Libby
What a charming story of mistaken identify. I’m definitely partial to an historical romance and this was just an enjoyable story. Like how the story unfolded and the eventual reveal occurre between Felicity and her Duke.
This book is part of a series, but I am yet to read the earlier books. There were a couple of things I think would have made more sense if I had read those. But didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.
| Synopsis |
Felicity has been left penny less until she marries. However, she has a plan to travel to London for the season all in the hopes of making her engagement to the Duke official. After years of corespondents she is unaware that she was actually writing with the Dukes late grandfather. When he arrives at her door to put an end to the match, he gets mistaken for a footmen. And becomes intrigued but the shrewd Felicity.
Feliciry also has a side project titled the Bachelor Chronicles which is similar in tone to Lady Whistledown but she acts more as a matchmaker.
“I am Holindrake. I am Hollindrake. He practiced…Still unwilling to make the loud and lofty public statement leave his free wheeling life as Thatcher” - the Duke
Sweet that her presence alone means he is required to practice revealing himself to be the Duke.
Themes:
• regency romance
• mistaken identity
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Listened to on Libby
December 23, 2020
The saga continues.
Love Letters from a Duke. Time has moved on a few years, and now it's time our outrageous teenagers from A Rake of Her Own have their own stories. This one centers on Felicity Langley, aka "Duchess." The reason for the nickname isn't because she is actually a duchess, it's because she's rather controlling, bossy, imperious, etc. However, it is her intention that she land a duke for a husband and after conferring with her handy-dandy Bachelor Chronicle journal she has decided on the Duke of Hollindrake. When this story begins, she has been writing to the duke for four years and she has grown quite fond of him. She has been able to share her dreams and darkest secrets with him. They have become friends. Unbeknownst to Felicity, through some kind of misunderstanding she has been corresponding with the duke alright; however he's in his 80s and he has hatched a plan of his own. He is pretending to be his grandson because he wants his grandson married and settled down, so he sees nothing wrong with flaming the fires. Then he dies and his grandson, Thatcher, finds out what his grandfather has been up to. Thatcher arrives on Felicity's doorstep with the intention of telling her the whole story, but he isn't prepared to handle this imperious whirlwind miss. Felicity mistakes Thatcher for the new footman and he doesn't ever have the chance to correct her. From that point on it's a game of spider and the web. Felicity fascinates Thatcher. At first he doesn't tell her who he is - well, because he can't get a word in. But as time goes on, he falls deeper and deeper under her spell and then he's afraid to tell her. He doesn't want to lose her. He is jealous of himself, because she wants so badly to marry the "Duke."
This is another fun book. Felicity and her sister Thalia have "borrowed" the house they are living in. They lie, pick locks, pick pockets, do all kinds of spy things their absent father taught them. They are full of wise sayings which were taught to them by their nannies while growing up. The nannies, by the way, were actually their father’s paramours, so their education has not been what one would call normal.
I would have to say that this is sort of a screwball comedy with some pretty amusing secondary characters floating in and out of the scenes. Furthermore, there is nothing I find funnier than a befuddled hero. Thatcher just cannot say or do the right thing, and his timing is atrocious. I will have to say that there are some poignant moments, especially when Thatcher reads the correspondence between his grandfather and Felicity. He learns a great deal about his grandfather, he begins to see his grandfather in a different light and there is just a touch of melancholy when he wishes things could have been different between he and his grandfather. He also learns what kind of a woman Felicity is through her letters. He sees her wants and desires and makes them his own.
All in all, Felicity and Thatcher were a great couple. The arrival at the HEA was just a little over the top, but it made me smile and I do recommend this book.
Love Letters from a Duke. Time has moved on a few years, and now it's time our outrageous teenagers from A Rake of Her Own have their own stories. This one centers on Felicity Langley, aka "Duchess." The reason for the nickname isn't because she is actually a duchess, it's because she's rather controlling, bossy, imperious, etc. However, it is her intention that she land a duke for a husband and after conferring with her handy-dandy Bachelor Chronicle journal she has decided on the Duke of Hollindrake. When this story begins, she has been writing to the duke for four years and she has grown quite fond of him. She has been able to share her dreams and darkest secrets with him. They have become friends. Unbeknownst to Felicity, through some kind of misunderstanding she has been corresponding with the duke alright; however he's in his 80s and he has hatched a plan of his own. He is pretending to be his grandson because he wants his grandson married and settled down, so he sees nothing wrong with flaming the fires. Then he dies and his grandson, Thatcher, finds out what his grandfather has been up to. Thatcher arrives on Felicity's doorstep with the intention of telling her the whole story, but he isn't prepared to handle this imperious whirlwind miss. Felicity mistakes Thatcher for the new footman and he doesn't ever have the chance to correct her. From that point on it's a game of spider and the web. Felicity fascinates Thatcher. At first he doesn't tell her who he is - well, because he can't get a word in. But as time goes on, he falls deeper and deeper under her spell and then he's afraid to tell her. He doesn't want to lose her. He is jealous of himself, because she wants so badly to marry the "Duke."
This is another fun book. Felicity and her sister Thalia have "borrowed" the house they are living in. They lie, pick locks, pick pockets, do all kinds of spy things their absent father taught them. They are full of wise sayings which were taught to them by their nannies while growing up. The nannies, by the way, were actually their father’s paramours, so their education has not been what one would call normal.
I would have to say that this is sort of a screwball comedy with some pretty amusing secondary characters floating in and out of the scenes. Furthermore, there is nothing I find funnier than a befuddled hero. Thatcher just cannot say or do the right thing, and his timing is atrocious. I will have to say that there are some poignant moments, especially when Thatcher reads the correspondence between his grandfather and Felicity. He learns a great deal about his grandfather, he begins to see his grandfather in a different light and there is just a touch of melancholy when he wishes things could have been different between he and his grandfather. He also learns what kind of a woman Felicity is through her letters. He sees her wants and desires and makes them his own.
All in all, Felicity and Thatcher were a great couple. The arrival at the HEA was just a little over the top, but it made me smile and I do recommend this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2009
I've done it again - started a series with something other than its first book. Another sale book written by an author I'd heard of but never read, so...
At any rate, I loved that there was no "big misunderstanding"; however, there was a "big secret", which drove the plot but for some reason this one did not grate on my nerves. I found this to be a sweet, romantic story where the man falls first and pursues his lady strenuously. Upon winning her, the secret, of course, has to be revealed in a dramatic way whereupon our heroine is hurt and angry. Formulaic? Yes, but when the formula is a good one and you've come to care about the characters, it's easy to forgive. There is some fairly graphic action, but euphemisms abound so language is not a problem.
At any rate, I loved that there was no "big misunderstanding"; however, there was a "big secret", which drove the plot but for some reason this one did not grate on my nerves. I found this to be a sweet, romantic story where the man falls first and pursues his lady strenuously. Upon winning her, the secret, of course, has to be revealed in a dramatic way whereupon our heroine is hurt and angry. Formulaic? Yes, but when the formula is a good one and you've come to care about the characters, it's easy to forgive. There is some fairly graphic action, but euphemisms abound so language is not a problem.
June 8, 2008
After Anathem, I needed something a little more fluffy.
I do like the Regency romances, but this was a particularly stupid one. Everything would have been resolved in chapter one if the main character would have just SHUT UP FOR A SECOND.
I do like the Regency romances, but this was a particularly stupid one. Everything would have been resolved in chapter one if the main character would have just SHUT UP FOR A SECOND.
June 5, 2017
Awalnya baca series ini karena gw pengen baca ini, tp karena mo urut baca nomor 1 nya dulu.. dan ceritanya bagus, tp pas buku 2 gw kaga mood buahahaha.. jd gw skip deh ke buku 3 nya.
Ini cerita Felicity Langley, Felicity-Thally sama Phipin ini yg jodo2in di buku 2, baru keluar dibuku 2, gw baca buku 2 awal dikit sih dan b3 ude keluar.. cumin gak lanjut, tp cukup ngerti si.. masalah Phipin sama Dash jg (buku 5 yg sepertinya akan gw skip jg ahahahahaa)
Sebenernya gw penasaran jg sama Temple, tp keknya die ada di bagian buku ke 2 deh.. gak ada buku sendiri, jd mari lupakan.. yg penting die jg ude HEA sama lady Diana di buku 1 yg si Temple suka lirik2 gitu.. nah yg kasih sebutan “little Duchess” ke Felicity itu si Temple..
**membingungkan ya? Tp kl baca langsung enggak kok.. tetep ngerti meski skip buku 2 LOL Nah Felicity yg dari kecil dipanggil “little Duchess” ini selalu memimpikan buat dapetin Duke, pokoknya musti Duke titik.. sampai die bikin literature Duke di Inggris, yg sayangnya gak banyak.. dan merambat ke Marquesss, Earl bahkan Gentlemen sekalipun, karena siapa tau yg tadinya bukan siapa2 akan jadi heir pada akhirnya. Nah, si Jack bilang (dibuku 2) kalau temennya Aubrey Marquess gt yg ntar mewarisi Duke of Hollindrake dan kirim surat deh Felicity, bilang kl die cocok jd Duchess nya dan kasih tau kelebihan2 die gitu..
Nah…
Aneh banget bahasa gw ahahahahaha.. bodo lah XD
Ini cerita Felicity Langley, Felicity-Thally sama Phipin ini yg jodo2in di buku 2, baru keluar dibuku 2, gw baca buku 2 awal dikit sih dan b3 ude keluar.. cumin gak lanjut, tp cukup ngerti si.. masalah Phipin sama Dash jg (buku 5 yg sepertinya akan gw skip jg ahahahahaa)
Sebenernya gw penasaran jg sama Temple, tp keknya die ada di bagian buku ke 2 deh.. gak ada buku sendiri, jd mari lupakan.. yg penting die jg ude HEA sama lady Diana di buku 1 yg si Temple suka lirik2 gitu.. nah yg kasih sebutan “little Duchess” ke Felicity itu si Temple..
**membingungkan ya? Tp kl baca langsung enggak kok.. tetep ngerti meski skip buku 2 LOL Nah Felicity yg dari kecil dipanggil “little Duchess” ini selalu memimpikan buat dapetin Duke, pokoknya musti Duke titik.. sampai die bikin literature Duke di Inggris, yg sayangnya gak banyak.. dan merambat ke Marquesss, Earl bahkan Gentlemen sekalipun, karena siapa tau yg tadinya bukan siapa2 akan jadi heir pada akhirnya. Nah, si Jack bilang (dibuku 2) kalau temennya Aubrey Marquess gt yg ntar mewarisi Duke of Hollindrake dan kirim surat deh Felicity, bilang kl die cocok jd Duchess nya dan kasih tau kelebihan2 die gitu..
Nah…
Aneh banget bahasa gw ahahahahaha.. bodo lah XD
March 13, 2021
I thought I wouldn't like this book simply because I'm not pleased with the writing style and it will unlikely change for the next books so I'll think about continuing or not. There were sudden changed in conversation like ending the chapters hanging and the next paragraph I felt lost sometimes. Also, I'm really particular about the action between dialogues which was hardly in this book.
But surprisingly, I like it . At some point I would have given this a rating of 4stars but the turn of events wasn't to my liking. I was hoping with the different ending or different scenario when everything was revealed so I was a little bit disappointed.
I like both MC, I like the plot. It was sweet romance that will make anyone smile and sigh hoping for HEA. Though I must say I'm not really into prolong deception..
But surprisingly, I like it . At some point I would have given this a rating of 4stars but the turn of events wasn't to my liking. I was hoping with the different ending or different scenario when everything was revealed so I was a little bit disappointed.
I like both MC, I like the plot. It was sweet romance that will make anyone smile and sigh hoping for HEA. Though I must say I'm not really into prolong deception..
July 21, 2021
I read this book 1st and I regretted it. Coz the secondary characters keep making appearances and there are a lot of mentions of what happened in the earlier book which keeps making me confused.maybe I wouldve liked it if i knew what was going on.
Spoilers ahead:
Prologue:
The old Duke servant is laughing at a letter and the duke asks wht it is and he reads the letter saying that a young lady is writing to his grandson and asking him to marry her. And that he should accept her proposal.she writes it before she goes to the school. So the duke decides that she is fit to be a duchess and decides to court her on behalf of his grandson.
So they keep writing for 4 years. Which was creepy coz the grandpa writes it. And I wouldve loved to read the letters but we arent shown much of the letters.
Current story:
Thatcher(not the Duke's real name) comes back to london and gets to know about felicity and decides to break off the betrothal. He is having dirty and torn clothes when he goes to her home directly from the army. Apparently he goes away to the army coz he is the 3rd child of a 3rd child and wasnt even in the line for a dukedom. So he uses a fake name Nathaniel and he is pretty famous.
Felicity opens the door coz they cant afford a servant. She thinks he is the Duke but knows he isnt coz of his clothes and says he is the footman and she hired. She doesnt let him talk and they give them the footman clothes. The maid says that something if fishy coz they dont have money and she says her in whisky.
He decides to break it off the next day. But then her school lady who is a bitch is outside and they hurriedly ask him to put in the footman dress and he agrees.
They go to ice skating on Thames. And he cant skate well and she helps him. Then somehow she starts having visions of him kissing her and he makes a joke about how he isnt kissed by an almost duchess and she punches him and he falls down. She thinks she killed him but he wakes up.
Her "aunt" who is actually a pickpockets wife steals some lady's purse and she is caught. He is shocked that the chaperone stole the purse and felicity is trying to pull away the purse. The lady shouts at him and his friend comes and says that he is very loyal person and has a high rank in the army. The lady says sorry and somehow felicity arranges to marry off her son who needs money with a heiress who is her friend.
She invites the heiresses and their family to meet her. And the father is happy about her matchmaking. He starts saying about how the duke is a slut and isnt a proper fellow and why she shouldn't marry. And Thatcher keeps getting angry that she thinks he is such a bad guy. She is second guessing herself coz she thought the duke is a good guy.
They go to get a coffee and she slips and he catches her and is about to kiss her when her bitchy friend who up and say that the duke might leave her. On the way back she asks Thatcher to kiss her and he does and he is feeling her up and she stops him and says he is supposed to be a duchess and shouldn't do this.
He is angry that she is fixed on the duke. Then her nanny jamila comes to stay with them
Idk what her story is and she says she was their nanny, her dad's fuck buddy, a past duchess, and now a widowed princess. She teaches the girl the look which gets the guys to fall for them. And the princess says that she should sleep with Thatcher so she can be perfect for the duke. Thatcher hears this and leaves. He decides that she should fall for thatcher and if she sleeps with him for the duke then he will break off the betrothal.
We see another story where her cousin who was 4 years ago in book 1 kissed by a american pirate. He is in a disguise and he sees her at the skating and says he wants to kiss her and kept thinking about her. He comes to her home again and they kiss and he asks her to come away with him.
The sisters see thatcher going to the duke's house and they follow. The servant calls him his grace and they realise that he is keeping a secret. But they dont tell this to their sister as he tells them not to.
Then she gets a letter from the duke to come for a ball. But the same day thatcher tells her to come to a inn. She goes to the inn and she is drunk and is sleeping in the room. He finds her there and she asks him to marry her. So they get married while she is drunk in the inn. They make love when she is normal and she wakes up again and goes to the Duke's house to say that she cant marry him. She gets home and says that she married the footman and not the duke.
He sees the letter she wrote and decides that he has to reveal his identity. She goes to his study and he is standing there. She thinks he somehow broke into the house but his servant comes and calls his grace and he says that he is the duke and that he never wrote those letters but it was his grandfather and that he loves her. She is angry and she runs away.
She is talking to the ladies from the other books. His mother goes to her and says that he is leaving london in sometime. So she rushes to the house and says that he cannot leave. But he is actually getting ready to leave for their honeymoon together.
The book was very confusing and it was just weird to see how 2 girls could stay at a house they have broken into. And they have no money. It was missing a lot of things .how her father is presumed dead and even they dont know if he is alive. Just a whole lot of confusion.
Wony be reading the series or rereading this book.
Spoilers ahead:
Prologue:
The old Duke servant is laughing at a letter and the duke asks wht it is and he reads the letter saying that a young lady is writing to his grandson and asking him to marry her. And that he should accept her proposal.she writes it before she goes to the school. So the duke decides that she is fit to be a duchess and decides to court her on behalf of his grandson.
So they keep writing for 4 years. Which was creepy coz the grandpa writes it. And I wouldve loved to read the letters but we arent shown much of the letters.
Current story:
Thatcher(not the Duke's real name) comes back to london and gets to know about felicity and decides to break off the betrothal. He is having dirty and torn clothes when he goes to her home directly from the army. Apparently he goes away to the army coz he is the 3rd child of a 3rd child and wasnt even in the line for a dukedom. So he uses a fake name Nathaniel and he is pretty famous.
Felicity opens the door coz they cant afford a servant. She thinks he is the Duke but knows he isnt coz of his clothes and says he is the footman and she hired. She doesnt let him talk and they give them the footman clothes. The maid says that something if fishy coz they dont have money and she says her in whisky.
He decides to break it off the next day. But then her school lady who is a bitch is outside and they hurriedly ask him to put in the footman dress and he agrees.
They go to ice skating on Thames. And he cant skate well and she helps him. Then somehow she starts having visions of him kissing her and he makes a joke about how he isnt kissed by an almost duchess and she punches him and he falls down. She thinks she killed him but he wakes up.
Her "aunt" who is actually a pickpockets wife steals some lady's purse and she is caught. He is shocked that the chaperone stole the purse and felicity is trying to pull away the purse. The lady shouts at him and his friend comes and says that he is very loyal person and has a high rank in the army. The lady says sorry and somehow felicity arranges to marry off her son who needs money with a heiress who is her friend.
She invites the heiresses and their family to meet her. And the father is happy about her matchmaking. He starts saying about how the duke is a slut and isnt a proper fellow and why she shouldn't marry. And Thatcher keeps getting angry that she thinks he is such a bad guy. She is second guessing herself coz she thought the duke is a good guy.
They go to get a coffee and she slips and he catches her and is about to kiss her when her bitchy friend who up and say that the duke might leave her. On the way back she asks Thatcher to kiss her and he does and he is feeling her up and she stops him and says he is supposed to be a duchess and shouldn't do this.
He is angry that she is fixed on the duke. Then her nanny jamila comes to stay with them
Idk what her story is and she says she was their nanny, her dad's fuck buddy, a past duchess, and now a widowed princess. She teaches the girl the look which gets the guys to fall for them. And the princess says that she should sleep with Thatcher so she can be perfect for the duke. Thatcher hears this and leaves. He decides that she should fall for thatcher and if she sleeps with him for the duke then he will break off the betrothal.
We see another story where her cousin who was 4 years ago in book 1 kissed by a american pirate. He is in a disguise and he sees her at the skating and says he wants to kiss her and kept thinking about her. He comes to her home again and they kiss and he asks her to come away with him.
The sisters see thatcher going to the duke's house and they follow. The servant calls him his grace and they realise that he is keeping a secret. But they dont tell this to their sister as he tells them not to.
Then she gets a letter from the duke to come for a ball. But the same day thatcher tells her to come to a inn. She goes to the inn and she is drunk and is sleeping in the room. He finds her there and she asks him to marry her. So they get married while she is drunk in the inn. They make love when she is normal and she wakes up again and goes to the Duke's house to say that she cant marry him. She gets home and says that she married the footman and not the duke.
He sees the letter she wrote and decides that he has to reveal his identity. She goes to his study and he is standing there. She thinks he somehow broke into the house but his servant comes and calls his grace and he says that he is the duke and that he never wrote those letters but it was his grandfather and that he loves her. She is angry and she runs away.
She is talking to the ladies from the other books. His mother goes to her and says that he is leaving london in sometime. So she rushes to the house and says that he cannot leave. But he is actually getting ready to leave for their honeymoon together.
The book was very confusing and it was just weird to see how 2 girls could stay at a house they have broken into. And they have no money. It was missing a lot of things .how her father is presumed dead and even they dont know if he is alive. Just a whole lot of confusion.
Wony be reading the series or rereading this book.
November 30, 2023
2.5 stars. Awesome premise but WTF was that ending??? If you’re fine with the MMC not telling the FMC the truth until 94% (after sleeping with her, supposedly marrying her AND ALSO NEVER APOLOGIZING FOR HIS ENORMOUS DECEPTION) then you’ll enjoy this one more than I did.
My other main gripe was with the writing style—the way the POV floated from character to character throughout each chapter made the story disjointed and confusing at times.
My other main gripe was with the writing style—the way the POV floated from character to character throughout each chapter made the story disjointed and confusing at times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2011
kali ini ripiu nya pendek ya hehehe...
inti cerita nya ttg felicity langley yang sering di panggil "duchess"...felicity dari kecil memang sering berlatih supaya kelak jadi duchess beneran...*hmphf*
felicity ini ngirim surat perkenalan ke duke of hollindrake..isinya ngasih tau kelebihan2 dia kalo dia sangat cocok menempati posisi sebagai duchess of hollindrake walau dia miskin dan gak punya dowry..
duke hollindrake tertarik baca surat felicity..dan bisa liat kalo felicity ini gadis yang cerdas...akhirnya mereka beberapa tahun surat2 an dan felicity di janjiin sebagai tunangan si duke..
tapi sayangnyaaaa....selama ini yang surat2 an ama felicity itu old duke of hollindrake yang udah tuwir..si duke bermaksud menjodohkan felicity ke cucu nya yang kelak dapetin gelar nya dan lagi pergi berperang...kapten tatcher...
sooooo pas old duke meninggal, tatcher di suruh pulang....kaget deh dia dibilangin dia udah tunangan ama felicity....
so tatcher saat itu juga dengan pakaian yang dekil karena baru pulang itu ke rumah felicity buat menjelaskan dan membatalkan pertunangan...
tapi felicity salah kitra kalo tatcher itu new footman yang dia mau sewa....
tatcher nya mau jelasin tapi kepotong mulu sama felicity yang bawel hihihi...akhirnya jadilah si tatcher footman nya keluarga langley yang terdiri dari felicity, ade kembarnya felicity, si tally (yang dulu udah gw rioiu di bukunya 'confession of a little black dress' ), philippa aka pippin (sepupunya) dan seorang nenek2 mantan pencuri yang udah ditolong dan dianggap keluarga sama felicity and sisters...
tatcher juga mau liat seperti apa si felicity yang di janjiin bakal dinikahin sama dia..kok bisa kakeknya yang keras kepala bisa ngasih dia tunangan yang gak punya dowry dan bukan dari bangsawan terkenal...
lama2 tatcher dan felicity langsung tertarik walo mereka sering berantem juga....
akhirnya tatcher beneran suka felicity tapi dia mau menikahi felicity kalo felicity juga cinta sama dia dan bukan karena gelar duke of hokllindrake nya...
felicity awalnya keras kepala, dia menolak lamaran tatcher walo dia sebenernya cinta sama tatcher....
felicity gak mau menghianatai dule hollindrake yang dianggap tunangannya....
lalu felicity juga harus menikahi seorag duke karena dia mananggung hidup saudara nya dan sepupunya..
tatcher pun mau ngaku kalo dia hollindrake gak berani...kalo felicity tau dia berbohong selama ini as footman nya pasti felicity ngamuk...
felicity ini jago pake pistol...ada yang memperingati tatcher kalo berani boong ama felicity bakal di tembak 'itu' nya hahahaha....
akhirnya....felicity dengan di bantu tally dan pippin menyadari perasaannya ke tatcher dan dia udah memilih tatcher...rela menikah dengan kapten yang di kira miskin dan hidup susah...
pas mau ketemu di tempat yang di janjiin tatcher....tatcher kira felicity gak mau nerima dia, tatcher balik buat mencari felicity dan bilang kalo dia duke (tatcher tetep mau ama felicity karena dia udah cinta mati)),,tatcger pikir biarin deh felicity merit sama dia demi gwlar duchess....
sedangkan felicity ternyata pergi ke penginapan mencari tatcher...
ditunggu2 tatcher gak datang, felicity minum2 sampe mabuk...
tatcher yang menyusul felicity nemuin felicity yang mabuk dan mo muntah2....
tatcher ngerawat felicity...abis gitu felicity nya di boboin di ranjang, di seluimuti (di buka dulu baju nya :p) trus tatcher nya bobo di kursi....
pas felicity setengah sadar dia liat tatcher dan maksa agar mereka nikah saat itu juga..akhirnya tatcher manggil pendeta entah apa biat nikahin mereka....
abis gitu mereka uhuk2 dengan seru nya hihihi.....
besoknya felicity bilang ke tatcher kalo dia sendiri yang harus membatalkan pertunangan ke duke holindrake....dan bilang kalo dia udah menikah...
tatcher setuju...soalnya dia mau kasih tau felicity kalo tatcher lah sebetulnya duke hollindrake...
sooo...bagaimana reaksi felicity pas tau tacher membohongi nya ? tentu nya felicity kabuuuuur :p
tatcher bingung nyari nya gak nemu2...stress deh...
sampe akghirnya ibu tatcher turun tangan.....
dia bekerja sama dengan tally, pippin , temen keluarga mereka diana dan siapa tuh satu lagi bikin supaya felicity mau maafin tatcher....
ending nya tentu happy...felicity yang di bilangin ibu mertua nya kalo tatcher mau pergi meninggalkan inggris karena patah hati akhirnya lari nyari tatcher....
dia ngeliat di depan kediaman hollindrake banyak kereta kuda yang angkut barang2 tatcher dan dia.....
felicity gak tau kalo tatcher nyiapin barang2 itu buat keperluan bulan madu mereka...ibunya bilang kalo dalam setengah jam felicity bakal nyari tatcher dan mereka bisa pergi honey moon...
akhirnya salah paham reda...felicity dan tatcher kissu2 di depan para pelayan dan footman mereka...mereka lega akhirnya duchess nya kembali ^^
nb : banyak adegan2 lucu terkait tatcher dan felicity..dialog2 mereka enak diikuti....
walau adegan uhuk2 nya gak banyak tapi tetep sweet ceritanya....gw jadi tertarik buat koleksi semua bukunya boyle ^^)
mereka akhirnya uhuk2 juga.....lumayan sih adegan nya ( mesti sensor juga ya hihihihi)
trus felicity
so pas tau tatcher bohong sama dia...
eh ternyata panjang juga ripiu nya hehehehehe.....:P
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