Review: All You Need is a Duke (The Duke Hunters Club #1) by Bianca Blythe

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All You Need is a Duke
Series: The Duke Hunters Club #1
Author: Bianca Blythe
Published March 10th 2020

Goodreads Synopsis
She needs to wed... And he's going to find her a husband.

When Margaret Carberry’s mother drags her upstairs at a ball, Margaret does not expect her mother to tie her to the bed and lock the door. Unfortunately, Margaret’s mother has taken it upon herself to declare Margaret compromised—whether or not Margaret wants to resort to such tactics to snare a husband.

Jasper Tierney, the Duke of Jevington, is surprised to encounter a half-clothed woman sprawled upon his bed. He is even more shocked to discover her identity.

Margaret Carberry is renowned as an incorrigible wallflower, not a seductress, no matter how appealing her bare flesh is against his bedding. When Margaret declares she won’t go along with her mother’s scheme and will find a husband on her own, Jasper vows to assist her, lest Margaret’s mother concoct another method to arrange a compromising situation. Jasper is certain of one thing: he has no desire to marry.

As Jasper works to match Margaret to a fellow duke, the prospect of a forced marriage with her lacks its earlier loathsomeness. Perhaps he missed his chance for true bliss.
Goodreads

Review
All You Need is a Duke follows self proclaimed wallflower, Margaret Carberry, as she tries to adapt to London society, where she is made to feel unwelcome because of her father's occupation in trade. Richer than most debutantes, the stigma of being the daughter of a Scottish tradesman is undeniable, and it leads her mother to try and orchestrate Margaret being compromised by the handsome Duke of Jevington at his own ball. Margaret can't believe her mother would go so low, and when Jasper arrives in his room, she begs him to free her, and flees out of the window - just in time. She knows now that her mother will not relent, so she goes to the one person she can think of to help her find a husband, Jasper. Jasper was more than relieved not to find himself engaged, and agrees to host a house party in his Dorset estate, with the other eligible dukes, to help Margaret. There's a few candidates he can think of that would be perfect for her, including the bookish Duke of Ainsworth, but the more time he spends trying to make everything perfect for Margaret, he soon realises he doesn't want her to marry anyone but himself.

This book was so enjoyable, and I honestly couldn't put it down. From meeting Margaret, I fell in love with her, and she was a fantastic main character. Not prepared to let others organise her whole life, she now is taking a stand for her own future, and is overjoyed that Jasper is helping her to choose her own husband. She's known since going to finishing school that her position in society is very different to her 'peers', and marriage to a Duke is asking too much, but she just wants to be happy, and have time to spend on her own pursuits, such as reading and searching for fossils. Whenever she's with Jasper, it's the time when she can truly be herself, and not be the shy and stuttering Miss Carberry that most people think she is. For Jasper, it's a slow burning kind of love, because he has never thought to marry, especially after the pain of losing his parents and sister when he was still at school. He wouldn't want to put himself in a situation that could be so painful again, and opening up to Margaret is one of the hardest things he's done. However, he's so far gone by the time he truly realises it, and it could be too late for him to convince her, but he does everything he can to bring her back. The chemistry between Margaret and Jasper was wonderful, and the moments they were alone were some of the best I've read.

Dates Read:
June 8, 2020

Rating
4 Stars

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