Book Review of Give the Devil His Duke

The ton can be vicious, ruining lives if they feel like it. Years after one man’s death in a duel and the scandal with his wife, the young daughter returns to London in an effort to force her tyrannical uncle to humanely support her and her mother. What she doesn’t expect is the encounter with her cousin’s betrothed and the feelings that ignite. The betrothed duke doesn’t expect to find a woman with a brain and the courage to men to shame as he battles his own emotions.

Note: This book was given to me through a third party with no expectation of a positive review. At the end of the review, is an affiliate link that will result in monetary compensation only if clicked on and then purchases are made.

While I love period romances, I prefer to have a female protagonist with brings and spunk. This story delivered in exactly what I was looking for. Frannie’s character is wonderful in that she knows when to bow to conventional society mandates and when she can barge through to get what she wants. She is not afraid to challenge society’s restrictions if it prevents her from getting what she needs. Can’t walk alone down the street? She will if she needs to. She’ll even challenge a duke which is just not done. She is the entire reason I enjoyed this story. Yes, the plot was well done and the other characters were crafted well, it was the main female character that had me cheering loudly.

The strength of this writer is the character development and structure. The evil uncle is not shown as completely evil. He can present the proper look for the right occasion, but then the truth is revealed when he lets his anger loose. Humans are complicated creatures, and the story reflects that. Yes, the uncle is evil, but few know it until Frannie forces his hand. Such character reality.

As for the plot, there are a few mysteries that are presented to the reader. Who is the one behind the gossip? Who is causing all the trouble that prevents Frannie from getting what she wants? I typically can figure out some plots, but this one had me guessing till the end on a couple. It also hinted at future books with more excitement.

If you like period romances, give this one a try. There are a couple of explicit scenes you can easily skip if you don’t like them. A great read that will have you cheering from the rooftops as female smarts clashes with high society.

If you want your own copy, you can get it here.