ARC Review: Dreaming of a Duke Like You (Duke of Grantham #1) by Sara Bennett
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Series: Duke of Grantham #1
Author: Sara Bennett
Published October 10th 2023 by Forever
Goodreads Synopsis
It’s “loathe at first sight” for this gaming hell owner and spinster, but if they play their cards right, they both may win in the end . . .
Raised in a foundling home and now proprietor of a successful club, Gabriel Cadieux hasn’t ever been welcomed by polite society. But when he discovers he’s the legitimate heir to a dukedom, he must make a choice: accept the debt-ridden title and the trappings of the peerage who shunned him or decline and leave his six rebellious half sisters to fend for themselves. As much as he hates the idea, Gabriel can’t abandon his siblings, even if it means making a deal with the most frustrating—and aggravatingly beautiful—woman he’s ever met.
Vivienne Tremeer storms into Cadieux’s club with one thing on her mind: get the loathsome owner to discharge her brother’s gambling debts. So when Gabriel offers her a trade—if she’ll teach his wild sisters the ways of the ton, he’ll clear the notes—she has no choice but to accept. But with her reputation already on a knife’s edge, falling for the duke could cause the scandal of the season.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
After discovering that her younger brother has lost a fortune gambling, Vivienne Tremeer storms into Cadieux’s club to force the owner to release him from the debt. She never expects to find herself enthralled by the handsome owner, who happens to be the new Duke of Grantham. Gabriel Cadieux was raised as an orphan in a foundling home, and has fought his way to become an owner of an up and coming gaming hell. He's now comfortable in his wealth, so discovering he is the legitimate heir to a bankrupt dukedom, which comes with 6 - now illegitimate - sisters, Gabriel knows that if he will be able to join haute society, he'll need help. Seeing Vivienne as the perfect tutor for himself and his sisters, he offers to clear the debt, and train Will in working in the hell, as long as she quietly helps them. But Gabriel never expected that he would see Vivienne as anything other than a beautiful hindrance, and definitely not as a potential duchess.
I adore Sara's books, and as soon as I saw that I could download this from NetGalley, I knew I couldn't stop myself immediately reading it. Vivienne and Gabriel were phenomenal heroes, and their romance was perfect for the story. Neither was the usual character, both misfits in the ton, but they loved fiercely, and would do anything to help those they cared about. Gabriel had two friends from his childhood that meant the world to him, and though he had never had true siblings, he couldn't let his sisters be left in ruin. Vivienne was the same - her brother was throwing away everything to bad friends, and she stormed a hell in the night to fight for him - not something the usual society lady would do. I think that was the main reason why Gabriel was so drawn to her, and vice versa. They saw kindred spirits in each other, and their personalities were so complementary. A fantastic start to a new series, and I hope that Vivienne and Gabriel make re-appearances in the following books!
Dates Read:
July 1, 2023
Rating
4 Stars
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