Review: The Duke I Once Knew (Unlikely Duchesses #1) by Olivia Drake
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Series: Unlikely Duchesses #1
Author: Olivia Drake
Published December 31st 2018 by St. Martin's Press
Goodreads Synopsis
First love is always the sweetest.
For years, Abigail Linton devoted herself to caring for her aging parents and the children of her siblings. Now, eager to make her own life, she takes a position as governess on the neighboring estate. It shouldn’t matter that her absentee employer is Maxwell Bryce, the Duke of Rothwell, the infamous rake who once broke her youthful heart. Surely he’s forgotten her, for he hasn’t set foot on his estate for fifteen years. At least, that is, until he arrives unexpectedly.
Max is incensed to meet his sister’s new governess. But why does Abby appear just as displeased to see him when it was she who’d rejected him all those years ago? Why is he so drawn to the independent spinster she has become? And why is there a sparkle in her beautiful blue eyes that suggests they might have a second chance at love?
Goodreads
Review
When they were teenagers Abigail Linton and Maxwell Bryce were the best of friends, neighbours in their small village, who would meet up in secret. But, following the death of Max's mother, his father, the late Duke of Rothwell, moved the family to London, and they never saw each other again. Though they promised to write to each other, no reply ever arrived, and now, over fifteen years later, it's a shock when they meet again. For Abby, she's been at the beck and call of her various family members her entire life. Now that her parents are gone, and each of her older siblings are more than capable of looking after their own children, Abby decides enough is enough, and wants to leave the family home - luckily, the governess for the younger sister of the new Duke of Rothwell, Max himself, has just left her post, and Abby would be perfect as governess, having helped to raise her nieces and nephews for the last 15 years. But, when Max turns up unexpectedly, and old issues come to a head, will Abby be able to forgive Max for forgetting her, and can Max do the same?
This was my first book by Drake, and I'm glad I was approved for an ARC of book 3, because I can't wait to read the other books in the series. Abby and Max had been secret friends, and felt like they could be themselves around one another, rather than the personas they put on at home. Abby, as the surprise child of the family, was way younger than her siblings, and just as she was about to head off to London for her debut, coincidentally not long after Max left the area, her mother was severely injured and left disabled in a horse riding accident. Overnight, she became a carer, and had to give up all her wishes of having a season, marrying, and having a family of her own. Now, approaching 30, she can't face the idea of being held back by her siblings, and not being able to have a life of her own. So, she pushes back, and moves out, but being around Max again, brings back all the memories of the past. Max saw how the loss of his mother destroyed his father, and he can't fathom the idea of being devastated so much, and turns himself into a rake, who will never let anyone get too close to him. Only Abby had ever really knew him, but when she refused his advances on the day of his mother's funeral, and then never returned any of his letters, he became jaded. Seeing Abby in his home, he wanted to make her suffer, but luckily, they spoke about the missing letters early on. All in all, it was a decent story, though missing an epilogue. I'm hoping we see more of the couple in the other books in the series though.
Dates Read:
March 15-18, 2021
Rating
4 Stars
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