Avon Books Say Yes to the Duke: The Wildes of Lindow Castle

Just such a good book,for reading on holiday

Viola Astley, die geliebte Stieftochter des Duke of Lindow, fällt aufgrund ihrer Schüchternheit auf, sei es im familiären Rahmen der außergewöhnlich taffen Wilde- Family oder auf dem sozialen Parkett des Londoner tons. Sie ist sensibel, ehrlich und mitfühlend, so dass ein stiller Priester eigentlich das perfekte Match für sie wäre. Bis sie auf Devin Elstan, den Duke of Wynter trifft: arrogant, kalt und unbeherrscht in der Gesellschaft, doch offen und interessiert an Viola. Es dauert nicht lange bis er beschließt: Sie will er als seine Ehefrau. Und nichts wird ihn daran hindern. Eloisa James gehört zu meinen Lieblingsautoren, denn sie ist eine Meisterin ihres Faches. Bis ins kleinste recherchierte Details zu historischen Gepflogenheiten, Kleidung und Literatur, ein einnehmender Schreibstil, der flockig leicht zu lesen ist und eine zu Herzen gehende Liebesgeschichte mit psychologischen Twists. Viola und Devins Liebe entwickelt sich langsam, doch umso tiefgreifender. Als Ehepaar lernen sie sich selbst und den Anderen kennen und reifen gemeinsam. Sie dabei als Leser zu begleiten ist ein wahres Vergnügen, doch hätte an mancher Stelle dieser Reifung und Liebe durchaus mehr Raum eingeräumt werden können. Meine von Herzen kommende Leseempfehlung an alle Romantiker mit Hang zur frühen Neuzeit (the Gregorian Era) in England.

This is the first book that I can remember reading which is authored by Eloisa James. It is from her highly popular Wildes of Lindow Castle series. I found that for the most part I greatly enjoyed the story and would like to read additional offerings in the series. Timid, tongue-tied, Viola Astley, a step-daughter of the Duke of Lindow, makes her debut in society and manages to attract the attention of Devin Elstan, Duke of Wynter. He is determined to have her. She wants nothing to do with the Duke. After meeting the new vicar, she is love-struck, and feels life with him in the country is preferable to life in society. One thing stands in the way, he is already betrothed. I enjoyed the contrasting stories going on with Olivia trying to gain the attention of the vicar, the Duke trying to gain the interest of Olivia, and the side stories going on with the vicar’s unlikable betrothed, Otis, Devin's cousin, Olivia’s step-sister, and her best friend. I thought the dialogue was good and the banter between Olivia and Devin very witty. I loved Olivia’s pets as well as the humor in this work, especially regarding the Biblical play. There is some steam to the story of Olivia and Devin but it was not offensive. This is an engaging read worthy of 4 stars with a steam level of 3.

I believe this is one of the best books Ms James has written recently. Viola is the stepdaughter of a duke, the Duke of Lindow. The Wilde Family has reputations in London and England. Her stepbrothers and stepsisters are considered celebrities. Viola considers herself a liability. She is small, the Wildes are tall. She is shy and gets an upset stomach when put into the public eye. The Wildes live their lives and ignore the public eye. She and, Joan, one of her stepsisters are having their come out. It is a gala event. And Viola has planned to meet a man in secret. The man is a minister, he is beautiful and she can speak to him without wanting to throw up. When she goes into the library, she finds it is not empty. There are two men discussing Joan and Viola. She listens and learns. One of the men is the Duke of Wynter, and the other man is his uncle. The Duke is looking for a bride, and he has decided it will be Joan. Joan is beautiful and vibrant. The uncle recommends Viola. The Duke, Devin, considers her a mouse and not worthy of his consideration. Devin is very wrong. When Viola gets the opportunity, she informs Devin that he is never going to get the chance to court Joan, she will not permit it. She also informs him that he is not the treasure he considers himself. These two people have some of the best conversations I have read in quite some time. When Devin decides that Viola will be his bride, and he will win her, she ignores him, discourages him and generally put him in his place. Devin is not easily discouraged. Viola is a wonderfully tender hearted young woman. She is also strong and powerful. She has a sense of right and wrong and she believes that it is her lot in life to save creatures and sometimes people. To Viola, being the wife of a minister will mean she can do good works and not have to be a celebrity. Devin has lived his entire life with the knowledge he is a duke. His childhood was less than perfect. He did not have the family love and affection that Viola had in her life. He has very little family and that is just fine with him. His main interest is mathematics and he has no desire to become close in any relationship. And Devin never wants anyone’s pity. Viola is beautiful, she makes Devin laugh and she provides an entire new perspective for him. He begins to see the world through Viola’s eyes. And he finds that laughing is not a bad thing. These two people are wonderful characters. The secondary characters in the story add a great deal to the book. The fiancee of Mr Marlowe, the minister, is worth the price of admission. She is someone who is unforgettable and not in a good way. Although this is part of a series, there is no sense of getting lost. All relationships are explained. Past events which are important to this plot are described. I loved this book. I have liked the earlier books in this series, but I loved this book. This is a wonderful series. Ms James always gives me humor and I really appreciate that. She also provides characters who are charming, likable and generally interesting. If you are seeking a story which will make you smile and give you a sense of delight in the happily ever after, this is the book for you.

There are times I'm in the mood for a book filled with conflict and angst; a book that takes me on an emotional roller coaster ride. But, other times, I want a book that's filled with witty banter, a boisterous and loving family, flirtatious fun, sizzling desire, and heart-tugging romance between two characters who had me in their corner, urging them on to a happily ever after. This is one of those books. Even though I've read all of the books in this series, I really had no idea what to expect of Viola other than knowing she's shy. She is, but she's also so much more. I love her growth throughout the story, how she gradually gains confidence and slowly begins to embrace the strength and power within her, as well as her Wilde side. I love her quiet determination and caring nature. And I adore how she takes Devin to task from their first meeting. She is exactly what he needs in his life, as he is the perfect mate for her. I love his pursuit of her; how he embraces his (well-hidden) romantic side to woo her. Their playfulness with one another is such a joy. It's fun to watch their relationship deepen as they explore the passion between them, gradually opening their hearts to one another and the love that continues to grow between them. Their chemistry is off the charts and, let me just say, I'll never view a china closet in the same way again! The secondary cast of characters in this book are a delightful accompaniment to the journey. In addition to various members of the Wilde family and Devin's family, there's a "pretty" vicar who not only plays an important role in Devin's and Viola's relationship but also finds himself caught in a romantic tangle of his own. Say Yes to the Duke is a witty, feel-good, historical romance that checked all of my happy boxes. It's exactly what I needed, had me grinning pretty much from beginning to end, and features a hero who made me sigh and a heroine who is one of my all-time Eloisa James favorites. It has my enthusiastic recommendation. Also, even though this is in the middle of a series, it works well as a standalone.