Daring a Duke
Grade : C+

It’s very easy to pinpoint what I disliked about Daring a Duke: The multitude of POVs, the repetitive style, and a central couple who are by turns juvenile, stupid, arrogant, and manipulative. But there are also the good things, like the multidimensional casting, the oddly quirky humour, and a pair of delightfully flawed characters with whom you wish you had more time. It’s your pick. Me, I can really appreciate the good points, but not enough to recommend the book.

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For starters, I can’t summarize the story because there’s no plot to summarize, beyond the fact that our main couple will marry. In a nutshell, it’s about an American heroine who wants an adventure while she’s in London, and in the space of twelve hours she gets together with the Duke of Edenham. But that’s not the point of the book – Jane and Edenham’s so-called romance, which takes place at a wedding breakfast, provides the opportunity for 17 other characters to weigh in on the situation. That, my friends, is the point of the book.

And to be brutally honest, when I discovered the extent of the ensemble-ness, I fully did not expect to enjoy this one. The first few chapters do not help: Ms. Dain wields certain phrases, such as the fact that Jane wants an adventure, like the Energizer Bunny on speed. It’s overkill, and coupled with a heroine initially devoid of little grey cells - well, I was going to pass the book along to someone else.

I’m glad I didn’t because this was one of the most intriguing and unusual reads of the year. There is no question in my mind that Ms. Dain is talented. She gives no quarter in her characters' stupidities, but lets everyone shine in their own way. Within the book’s severe limits, the 19-strong cast is as un-cookie-cutter-like as can be, and the writing is clever, witty, and true.

Which is why it almost breaks my heart that I ultimately find it ineffectual. There is no fault in writing a series, with progressive developments that rely on previous books; I am not criticizing Ms. Dain for this. And there is enormous enjoyment to be derived in seeing an author pinpoint motivations and people with devastating, if occasionally uncomfortable, accuracy. But this is the crux of the matter: It could be so much more. The problem with stringing the subplots along multiple books is that depth is sacrificed in the individual installment. So while I recognize that, as a whole, the Courtesan Chronicles is probably a fascinating, witty series, this single volume has a jagged and incomplete plot, a peripatetic narrative that is well done but ultimately ineffective, and insufficient characterization within the frame of these pages.

Of course, if you are already a devotee of Ms. Dain’s books then you may well defend her series, or similar ones by Eloisa James, as simply different forms of reading that surpass the traditional boundaries of a genre. I think I could have accepted Daring a Duke on its own terms, rather like a soap opera episode, if I didn’t find it all – the characters, the humour, and the Energizer Bunny writing – just too much. However, if you think you can get past it, then I encourage you to seek out this series.

Reviewed by Enya Young
Grade : C+

Sensuality: Subtle

Review Date : July 16, 2010

Publication Date: 2010/07

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Enya Young

I live in Seattle, Washington and work as a legal assistant. I remember learning to read (comic strips) at a young age and nowadays try to read about 5-6 books a week. I love to travel, especially to Europe, and enjoy exploring smaller towns off the tourist track though London is my favorite city in the world.
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