ARC Review: Seducing the Duchess (Disgraceful Duchesses #1) by Sara Bennett
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Series: Disgraceful Duchesses #1
Author: Sara Bennett
Published May 31st 2024 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Goodreads Synopsis
Sebastian is seducing the duchess…or is she seducing him?
Catherine, Dowager Duchess of Wellesley, is on her way home to her bleak castle in the North of England, when she becomes trapped in a snowbound inn. The lonely widow of an old husband, her hopes of finding a man who can show her the sort of passion she longs for, are fading. That is until she discovers the gentleman she met ten years ago, and has been dreaming of ever since, is sharing her captivity.
Is this her chance to finally make those dreams come true?
Sebastian, Viscount Albury, is on his way home to his estranged father, a man he has not seen since the tragic death of his mother. What he needs now is a distraction. For years he has lived a rake’s life in London, his heart unhindered by emotion, but when he sees Catherine something changes.
Can he seduce the duchess and walk away?
Trapped together, Catherine and Sebastian, discover more than the passion that binds them. But can they escape the past and make a future together?
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Married when she was only 19 to a lord old enough to be her grandfather, widowed Catherine, Dowager Duchess of Wellesley is returning to her cold, unwelcoming castle in the north. The only light in her life is her young son Jack, but her late husband has managed to ruin that even from beyond the grave. Catherine and Jack need to live in the remote castle, or else they lose the title and wealth which comes from the estate. Proving again and again that would do anything for her family, Catherine just wishes for happiness, even if it is fleeting. When the weather takes a turn for the worst, she is snowed in at the sleepy White Rose Inn, with none other than Sebastian, Viscount Albury, a man Catherine remembers dancing with in her debut season, and who has only gotten more handsome as the years have passed. Will they both give into their attraction for the time they have together, and be able to walk away when the snow clears?
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I really appreciated Catherine's struggles and her guilt over trying to find happiness. She was dragged to London with her sisters and forced to marry to save the family. She did so without making a fuss, and even when she's 'free' from her husband, he still is controlling her life. Being with Sebastian was one of the only things she had ever done for herself, and it was both exciting and terrifying to have that ability. Her love for Jack was clear at every turn, and the moments she and Sebastian spent together talking about him, and their families, were really sweet, and helped to cement their relationship.
Dates Read:
November 27-28, 2024
Rating
3 Stars
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