Review: When a Duchess Says I Do (Rogues to Riches #2) by Grace Burrowes
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Series: Rogues to Riches #2
Author: Grace Burrowes
Published April 30th 2019 by Piatkus
Goodreads Synopsis
An enchanting Regency romance with a fairy-tale twist from an always witty and delightful New York Times bestselling author who Tessa Dare calls "a romance treasure."
Duncan Wentworth tried his hand at rescuing a damsel in distress once long ago, and he's vowed he'll never make that mistake again. Nonetheless, when he comes across Matilda Wakefield in the poacher-infested and far-from-enchanted woods of his estate, decency compels him to offer aid to a lady fallen on hard times. Matilda is whip-smart, she can read Duncan's horrible penmanship, and when she wears his reading glasses, all Duncan can think about is naughty Latin poetry.
Matilda cannot entrust her secrets to Duncan without embroiling him in the problems that sent her fleeing from London, but neither can she ignore a man who's honorable, a brilliant chess player, and maddeningly kissable. She needs to stay one step ahead of the enemies pursuing her, though she longs to fall into Duncan's arms. Duncan swears he has traded in his shining armor for a country gentleman's muddy boots, but to win the fair maid, he'll have to ride into battle one more time.
Goodreads
Review
After his cousin inherited the Dukedom of Walden, Duncan Wentworth is given a run down estate to look after, and save from decay. Quinn hopes to one day give the estate to Duncan, to thank him from all he's done for the family, and especially for Stephen, but Duncan is a bit apprehensive. One night while walking across the estate, he comes across some poachers, and is saved by a mysterious woman, clearly a lady, and offers her a bed and food for the night in thanks. Matilda Wakefield is on the run, worried about some traitorous material she came across in her father's study, and she needs to ensure that her fiancee doesn't find her, or it. She doesn't want to stay in one place for too long, but the winter is setting in, and Duncan needs help on the estate and with his journals. They agree to a tentative working relationship, but it's clear that the longer they are together, the more the chemistry is growing, until Matilda's past comes to haunt her.
I do think I preferred book 1 over this one, but still enjoyed Duncan and Matilda's story. Duncan is someone we briefly met in the previous book, as the studious cousin of the Wentworth's, tutor to Stephen, and someone who loved travelling. When Quinn and Jane decided to give him the estate to work on, they hope to keep him in England, and thank him for all his work. However, he sees it more as a punishment, and doesn't immediately take to his work. I liked seeing him and Matilda grow closer, as their spark wasn't as obvious as Jane and Quinn's had been, but it was definitely believable by the end of the book. Matilda was a duchess, previously married to a German Duke who later died, and though she was really clever and smart, I felt like some of the angst and the twists and turns in the mystery plot were obvious, and easy to avoid. This was a good addition to the series, but not one I loved.
Dates Read:
November 21-22, 2020
Rating
4 Stars
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