#alongcameaduke

[maldito-romance-blog]

Along Came...Something

The first book in Elizabeth Boyle’s ��Rhymes with Love’ series, Along Came a Duke was everything I expected and yet nothing I predicted. 

Synopsis:

In the village of Kempton, there is said to be a curse. He who weds a girl from Kempton is bound for an unhappy marriage...if he lives that long. Thus, no woman in Kempton marries, and many are happy to stay that way...

Miss Tabitha Timmons, a penniless spinster, has worked herself to the bone as her aunt and uncle’s scullery maid in the three years since her father’s untimely passing. All that changes when she is left a fortune payable only upon her marriage to the very respectable Mr. Barkworth.

On her way to London to meet and wed her intended, Tabitha happens to meet the Duke of Preston. He spies a rebellious streak in her that matches his own, and he decides to make it his mission to save her from such a passionless match, interfering with her life at every turn. All too soon, Preston (whose very name spells ruin) has Tabitha caught between the good fortune that guarantees her security, and his kiss, which promises an entirely different happily-ever-after.

Characters:

Tabitha - a headstrong protagonist that actually has a brain...most of the time.  Clumsy. Can’t dance a step. Some wit. Wants to kick everyone in the teeth, but does not follow through. Moral and straitlaced vicar’s daughter. Melts at one touch of Preston for some reason

Preston - a charming and somewhat devilish duke that falls in love on the first date. Can never eat alone. Loves his family. Snarky. Hates Barkworth so much.

Barkworth - Tabitha’s betrothed, he is literally the epitome of mama’s boy, and such a terrible marriage prospect it’s laughable. I was so disgusted by this guy, I can’t even.

Roxley - Preston’s best friend. Earl of Roxley. Terrified of his aunt. Friends with Harriet Hathaway, a friend of Tabitha.

Mr. Muggins - Irish terrier. Best character. Hates feathers.

Review:

I would like to say that I did enjoy this book. That said, there were some issues. Firstly, Tabitha starts this book as the paragon of virtue. She’s such a passive Cinderella character. She wakes up before dawn to scrub floors, set the table, clean this and that, and get the mail. She refuses to let her friends know the extent of emotional abuse she’s enduring because she’s prideful or passive or something. The first time she grows a backbone is when debating with Preston about the fact that not all women want to get married.

“Sir, I will have you know, I never intend to go seeking a husband and am quite content with that notion.” There, she’d managed her mind, and fortified by her first success, she continued unabashedly, “marriage offers no benefits to a lady, save leaving her a servant to a man’s fickle whims and his selfish demands.”

I tell you, I read that twice because truer words have never been spoken in a romance novel! Like, oh my goodness. You go, girl! 

Then...she inherits stuff to leave her situation. Great, right? No. In order to inherit, she has to get married to Mr. Barkworth. Before she knows it, her bags are packed and she’s shipped off to London. Where she meets Preston, again. Enter problem number 2: they fall in love after 1 dinner. 

Preston can’t eat along because of his tragic backstory, so they end up dining together because Roxley is a terrible friend and Yorkshire pudding or something. They eat, they laugh, they dance. Then, they kiss. This kiss is wild with passion or something. Like all romance novels. You know the drill. Anyway, he pushes her away and the evening ends. He can’t stop thinking about her and vice versa. They meet again in the park and at a ball and keep meeting. He finds out about her betrothal and decides that she deserves better.

Meanwhile, Tabby meets Barkworth, and he’s such a bore. Always talking about status and his mother. Here’s why no one likes him:

- mama’s boy

- more concerned with his coat than his fiance

- wants her to get rid of Mr. Muggins

That last one is enough for me to kick him to the curb. Anyway, it’s obvious he’s the wrong one for her. Just once, I’d like a romance novel with a love triangle where the guy that wants the girl but doesn’t get her is actually a decent guy and backs off when he sees that they actually wouldn’t work out. Like Proteus from the Sinbad movie. Anyway...

The following paragraph contains spoilers...

Because Preston can’t stay out of her business, he decides to read her dead uncle’s will. Long story short, the only way to get out of the marriage and still retain the fortune is to have Barkwork cry off. So, he decides to help Tabby by ruining her (this sounds a lot worse than it is). He manages to ruin her at her own engagement ball by doing the sex stuff (this is literally the 1 sex scene in the novel). Barkworth cries off, worse stuff happens, yada yada. They get together the end

-End of Spoilers-

Overall, not a bad plot. There are a few twists and turns which keep the story interesting, but nothing too crazy. I will say that my favorite aspect of the whole novel was the idea of agency. 

Tabitha doesn’t get to make a lot of choices. She is whisked off to London and almost forced into a marriage because her entire family sucks. The only time she gets to choose is when she’s with Preston. He lets her choose how far they go when they’re at the ball (literally hands her the key to the locked door). He gives her the choice of whether to marry him or not. Lets her have as much food as she wants. Okay, so that last one isn’t so much a choice, but he doesn’t criticize her for eating so much. All that said, he does have moments where he attempts to coerce her, but if her answer is ‘no’ he always backs off. Most of his coercions are playful and never serious. 

One of the things that annoyed me most was Tabitha. So many times were slightly infuriating because she would think of great quips but never say them aloud. Another thing was that the writing got a bit long-winded. I felt myself speeding through the sexy stuff because I didn’t care about it. There’s a dance that lasts for like 15 min. ONE DANCE. The writing isn’t bad, just very thorough in its description. 

I’d give this book a 3.5 out of 5.

This has been a review for Along Came a Duke by Elizabeth Boyle.

[duranduratulsa]

Up next on my Hazzard County Marathon...The Dukes Of Hazzard: Along Came A Duke (1981) on classic DVD 📀! #tv #television #actionadventure #thedukesofhazzard #dukesofhazzard #TheGeneralLee #alongcameaduke #dukes42 #80s #DVD