Reviewer: Holly Accidentally Compromising the Duke by Stacy Reid
Series: Wedded by Scandal #1
Also in this series: Accidentally Compromising the Duke, When the Earl Met His Match
Publisher: Entangled Scandalous
Publication Date: May 30, 2016
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 256
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Reading Challenges: Holly's 2020 Goodreads Challenge, Holly's 2020 Reading Challenge
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Series Rating:
England, 1817. Miss Adeline Hays is out of options. Determined to escape marriage to a repugnant earl, Adeline plans to deliberately allow herself to be caught in a compromising position at a house party with the much kinder man she’d hoped to marry. Instead, Adeline accidentally enters the wrong chamber and tumbles into the bed of the mad duke.
Edmond Rochester, the duke of Wolverton, is seeking a wife to care for his two daughters. A young lady of sensibilities, accomplishment, and most importantly, one who he is not attracted to—a complete opposite of the bewitching beauty who traps him into marriage. But despite the lust he feels for his new duchess, Edmond is resolved to never allow them intimacy, refusing to ever again suffer the tormenting loss of a loved one.
When Adeline’s father says she must marry an old lecher who attacked her in a garden, instead of the man, Mr. Atwood, she’s formed an attachment to (because he’s untitled and therefore isn’t acceptable), she decides to take matters into her own hands. With the help of her friend Evie, she orchestrates it so she’s caught in a compromising position with Mr. Atwood. Only she ends up in the wrong room and accidentally compromises the Duke of Wolverton instead.
Edmond is in town to find a bride. His wife and lady love died 3 years prior. He vowed never to wed again, until he realized his young girls need a mother. He’s determined to marry a woman he could never care for. Only he ends up in a compromising situation with Adel instead, and knows he must do the honorable thing and marry her..even if she does set his blood on fire. Adel is determined to draw Edmond out of his dark despair, and Edmond is just as determined to keep himself separate from his family.
I liked this book, but not as much as My Darling Duke. Edmond was pretty much a jerk until close to the very end of the book, and I wanted better for Adel. I also didn’t love that the main conflict centered around them having children, as that’s one of my least favorite tropes. Even so, I liked Adel and Edmond separately, and I really loved his girls. I also enjoyed the romance. Not Edmond pushing her away, but those times he actually let her close. The way she drew him out and helped him enjoy life was wonderful.
I’m on the fence about continuing the series, however, since I didn’t love the secondary characters who are featured in the next two books. I’m going to take a break and come back to the series later.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Wedded by Scandal
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