ARC Review: A Wolf in Duke's Clothing (Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde #1) by Susanna Allen
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Series: Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde #1
Author: Susanna Allen
Published April 27th 2021 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Goodreads Synopsis
A delicious mix of Regency romance and shapeshifting adventure from author Susanna Allen...
Alfred Blakesley, Duke of Lowell, has long been an enigma. No one dares to give a man of his stature the cut direct, but there's simply something not quite right about him. What would the society mamas say if they learned that the something they sensed was the fact that Alfred is a wolf shifter...? He's been looking for his mate for a long time, but not just any young lady will do for him, or for his pack.
Felicity Templeton has one goal: to remain unmarried. If she can manage that until her twenty-fifth birthday, she stands to inherit a large fortune. But when she meets Alfred, the dashing duke is determined to have her for his very own...and a wolf who's a duke can be very persuasive...
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
Throwing the supernatural into Regency romance, A Wolf in Duke's Clothing sees the mysterious Duke of Lowell steal a bride in order to help his pack. Most of the ton think of Alfred as a strange and secretive Duke, who rarely spends time in society, and has been travelling for years. But now he has returned, and it's clear he's on the hunt for a bride. But not just any bride; the woman he marries has to be perfect, and be is mate, in order for the rag tag bunch of shape shifters he is alpha of to survive. As soon as he see Felicity Templeton, he knows she is the one, but she has other plans. All Felicity wants is to remain unmarried until her 25th birthday, when she will no longer be in her uncles control, and she should inherit a fortune her father left for her before he passed. When the normal gentlemen - especially a duke - would simply have to woo his intended bride, Alfred has no patience for that, and so he seizes Felicity, and takes her to his estate, where all the residents attempt to hide the truth about their shifting, in order to slowly allow Felicity to acclimate to the new world she's living in, and agree to the mating ritual. Will Alfred be able to convince Felicity to take him, and his pack, on, or will her will be too much for even this Alpha?
This book completely took me by surprise. I'll admit, I wasn't sure how much I'd like it, what with the supernatural element added to the Regency era, but I loved it! It read like a fantastic Regency romance, and the fantasy elements of the shifting and supernatural creatures rather accentuated the good in the book, rather than detracting from it. Felicity was an amazing heroine, strong and full of vim and vigour, who refused to back down and accept the situation she was in, and fought for what she wanted. She had suffered at the hands of her uncle - who was only interested in her money - and when freedom and independence was on the cusp, it was snatched from her. I didn't really like the whole abduction plot line, but I can see why it was necessary for the book. As Felicity slowly warmed to Alfred and his staff, it was good to see her pick up on little differences and aspects of the estate which made it other. Her romance with Alfred was funny to read - he didn't really have a clue on how to act with someone he was in love with, and the fact that when he was Alfie, he got closer to Felicity than he did in his human form, was hilarious. This book has definitely taken me by surprise, and I'm glad I've got a review copy of book 2, because the cliffhanger is making me anxious to read on!
Dates Read:
August 4, 2021
Rating
4 Stars
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