ARC Review: Polishing the Duke (Suddenly a Duke #3) by Alexa Aston
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Series: Suddenly a Duke #3
Author: Alexa Aston
Published April 27th 2023 by Dragonblade Publishing
Goodreads Synopsis
A haberdashery owner who suddenly discovers he’s a duke . . .
A woman of the ton stained by scandal . . .
A deathbed request which brings this pair together . . .
Haberdasher Pierce Selkirk always knew he was the son of an earl. Much to his surprise, he learns he is not illegitimate as he had been led to believe. With his father’s death, he becomes the Duke of Stoneham and must take up responsibilities beyond his comprehension.
Lady Nalyssa Shelbourne was the darling of the ton until her gambling father went bankrupt and committed suicide. The suicide cast a shadow upon Nalyssa, and she now earns her living preparing men who have unexpectedly come into a title, training them to take their places in Polite Society.
Nalyssa travels to Stonecrest, where she meets her next client, a man she is wildly attracted to. The new duke also desires Nalyssa, and she does her best to hold him at arms’ length as she trains him in the idiosyncrasies and unwritten rules of the ton. Nalyssa knows Stoneham must make a brilliant marriage, if only to help his sister and help her find her footing in Polite Society.
Will this duke create an even greater scandal by pursuing—and wedding—a woman barely tolerated by the ton?
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Discovering that he is in fact the legitimate son of the Duke of Stoneham, rather than a bastard is a surprise to Pierce Selkirk, a store owner in Bristol. Inheriting the title, with his mother now ready to take her place in society as duchess, he knows there's going to be an uphill battle, though his father had considered that before his death, and hired Lady Nalyssa Shelbourne to give the family pointers on how to behave. Arriving at Stonecrest, Pierce and Nalyssa immediately clash heads, but the respect growing between them, and the more time they are comfortable with each other, soon convinces Pierce that yes, he does need to find a duchess, but she's been in front of him all along.
After reading the second book in the series, I decided to get caught up with the published books so far, and dove right into books 3 & 4. I do think this one is my favourite so far, as I just loved the chemistry between Pierce and Nalyssa so much, and the fact that he wasn't really a member of society, and didn't adhere to the silly rules over heritage, etc., but rather merit and worth, made him respect Nalyssa so much more. She was raised as the daughter of an earl, and had had a few seasons but had never chosen a husband before her father lost their wealth, and killed himself. Luckily the new earl, and her cousin, was kind, though not prepared for his role in society, and Nalyssa gave him instructions. Now many who wish to enter the ton hire her to prepare them, and she's grudgingly accepted at society events. Working with Pierce, Amanda, and Penelope will be her biggest task to date, though the most rewarding. Because she had always been in society, she knew that she wasn't really welcomed, and cared about the Selkirks too much to cause them any trouble. Luckily though Pierce wasn't willing to let her go, and he fought tooth and nail for her. We saw the Westfields and Duke of Lindberry again, and the dowager Duchess was instrumental in Pierce and Nalyssa being able to find love once and for all. A lovely addition to the series!
Dates Read:
June 3-4, 2023
Rating
3 Stars
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