ARC Review: Designs on the Duke (Suddenly a Duke #4) by Alexa Aston
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Series: Suddenly a Duke #4
Author: Alexa Aston
Published June 8th 2023 by Dragonblade Publishing
Goodreads Synopsis
A twin back from war, his brother dying in his arms . . .
A woman who has traveled the world and learned from those travels . . .
Two people who don’t fit into the constricting rules of London’s Polite Society . . .
Major Elijah Young never met his father, the Duke of Bradford, who believed his young wife betrayed him and gave birth to twins sired by another man. Now, two deaths have changed the trajectory of Elijah’s life—and he is the new duke. Elijah vows never to wed and father children, wanting the ducal line to end with him.
Miss Abigail Trent lost both her parents and spent a decade with her guardian, journeying to exotic countries around the world. Abby takes her experiences and begins Trent Furnishings, sketching furniture influenced by her travels and having craftsmen bring her visions to life. The ton is who can afford her designs, and so she enters Polite Society to bring notice to her business.
Neither Elijah nor Abby want marriage—and love is out of the question—yet their attraction grows as she accepts his commission to furnish his entire London townhouse.
Will this unlikely pair admit their feelings for one another—or will their lack of communication prevent them from finding lasting happiness?
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Though the son of the Duke of Bradford, Elijah Young never met his late father, nor did he expect to inherit. After his mother married the previous duke and fell pregnant, she was thrown out and accused of carrying illegitimate sons. All throughout his life, Elijah's mother has claimed that he and his twin, Gil, were true born sons, and Gil would one day inherit. Unfortunately, both brothers served in the war, and just before they discovered their father's death, Gil was killed. Now Elijah is duke, though his homes have been stripped of all their possessions. Luckily the first people he meets in society are the Earl of Ladiwyck and Miss Abigail Trent, the owner and designer at Trent Furnishings. Elijah immediately hires Abby to furnish his townhouse, and other properties, and soon realises that though he's always said he would never marry or have children, Abby is making he reconsider.
Another great tale with the hero being someone outside of society, and the heroine being a lady who works for her living. I liked how Elijah and Abby met, and how close both they became, as well as Ladiwyck and the duchess. The fact the late duke had been so vindictive as to refuse to support his pregnant wife, and leave her and their twin boys penniless was horrific, and to top it all off, he sold all the furnishings of the estate off, so that whenever they do inherit, they won't have anywhere to live. It was quite lucky that there was still enough money in the bank to buy new, and Abby worked her socks off to create the home that Elijah wanted. There was less conflict in this book as there had been in previous ones, but the romance was still great, as was the secondary plot line of the Duchess and Ladiwyck. I can't wait to see what happens next for our couples so far.
Dates Read:
June 4, 2023
Rating
3 Stars
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