ARC Review: The Duke Undone (Duke Undone #1) by Joanna Lowell
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Series: Duke Undone #1
Author: Joanna Lowell
Published April 6th 2021 by Berkley Books
Goodreads Synopsis
An artist stumbles upon a naked duke and an unlikely love story begins in this captivating Victorian historical romance.
When Royal Academy painting student Lucy Coover trips over a naked man passed out in an East End alley, she does the decent thing. She covers him up and fetches help. Trouble is, she can't banish his muscular form from her dreams as easily. She finds herself compelled to put every detail down on canvas. What she doesn't know is that she's painting the infamous Duke of Weston, and that her life will never be the same.
A second son, Anthony Philby thought he could flee his brutal family legacy and become his own man. Forced back to London by his brother's death, he inherits a fortune... with strings attached. One scandal will sink his bid for independence. It's in his best interest to burn Lucy Coover's shocking painting and pretend he never met the bewitching young artist. Instead, he finds himself offering a devil's bargain. He'll save her aunt's dressmaking shop from ruin, if she'll seek out his missing sister, Effie.
As they work together, an unexpected passion ignites between them. But the hunt for Effie leads to unexpected danger, and soon they find themselves risking everything... for a love that might destroy them both.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via Edelweiss. This in no way impacted on my view.
After Lucy Coover discovers a naked man in an alleyway in the East End of London, she covers him up, and then paints his likeness. A budding artist, and student at the Royal Academy, it's a dream for her to attend the school, but as a young woman, she is denied access to life model. Seeing the naked man was a boon, and her painting of him, depicted as Endymion, managed to sell well. She thought that would be all, and put her head down, focusing on the future, and helping her aunt's business, but the painting returns to haunt her. Anthony Philby, Duke of Weston, never expected to inherit, but when his older brother died, was became heir. His father had always hated him and his younger sister, for their half-Greek heritage and memories of their wanton mother, so when the old Duke died, he left many requirements in his will, including the fact that Anthony would be required by a codicil to abstain for all vices - alcohol, gambling, women, you name it - until his 30th birthday, lest he be bound by the will and it's trustees for the rest of his life. He's kept his head down, and only has a few short weeks until his birthday, when an aggrieved husband storms in claiming Anthony has cuckholded him, and has the portrait as proof. Now, Anthony has to ensure that the portrait never gets out, and works with Lucy to ensure that his inheritance is clear. Will they be able to manage it, or will the outside forces, as well as the trustees, be able to stop all of their plans?
I've been interested in this book since I saw it's cover reveal, and was so pleased when I was approved for a review copy. Both of the main characters had such intriguing back stories, with alcohol playing a big role in it, and I loved seeing how Joanna explored it. For Anthony, as the second son, he was never expected to inherit, and he escaped his overbearing father as soon as he could, and went to war, stationed over in India. He loved his life in India, but his experiences I would say left him with PTSD, and alongside the death of his brother, and disappearance of his sister, he turn to drink as a solution. His father was wholly against vices, and though the codicil was a way to control Anthony from beyond the grave, it also was something I think he needed. Lucy, on the other hand, had had to live with an alcoholic father, and would never abide being put in a similar situation again. I loved seeing the growth in both main characters, but there were definitely moments when I was shaking my head and wanted them both to sort out their problems. There was definitely an engaging plot line, and romance between the pair, and I really enjoyed the book. I think I've see that this is the first in a new series, and I hope that's true, because there were a number of secondary character I think deserve their own stories, and I want to see more from Lucy and Anthony too.
Dates Read:
March 6-8, 2021
Rating
4 Stars
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