My Darling Duke
You know a novel’s in trouble when you’re rolling your eyes at the premise four pages into it. Stacy Reid’s My Darling Duke has decent characters, but it well earns its low grade because its characters do not practice the fine art of logic. Only some adept writing and a really interesting hero saves it from the ash heap.
The last thing Lady Katherine – Kitty – Danvers wants to do is get married. Deploring the loveless life of living like a wallflower season after season, she hatches a plan along with her sisters and fellow wallflowers to escape the genteel penury in which she exists.
Kitty’s solution to the family’s issues are simple – she will feign an engagement to the reclusive, not seen for years, mad, bad and dangerous Duke of Thornton. Since the duke is never around, she reasons, surely it will never get back to him that a woman he’s never met is faking an engagement to him (hoo boy).
For Kitty, the risk of discovery is worth it, as she’ll be able to settle her sisters into advantageous marriages through Thornton’s connections, and also ruin herself forever and attain eternal spinsterhood. If that means never having love or a family of her own, it’s okay (not!), because she’s never had a positive marriage mart experience, and after all her family is Awfully Poor. Never mind that Thornton is known as the puppet master and is known for nefarious, underhanded political tactics, everything will work out! Which is why Kitty talks to the international press, so it totally won’t get back to Thornton (Facepalm. FACEPALM!)
A month into Kitty’s scheme, Alexander Masters, said Duke of Thornton, finds out, via his valet (!!) that Kitty has been on his property and is naturally horrified. He has been in seclusion trying to heal from a leg injury, stubbornly refusing to use the wheelchair his doctor recommends even though hobbling around plunges him into agony, and castigates himself as an unlovable, scarred “cripple.” That injury sent his previous fiancée running and screaming from his estate, so naturally he’s not exactly willing to look upon an engagement in a positive way. He’s determined to meet Miss Danvers and set the matter right, but first he approaches her a different way.
Kitty’s very existence appeals to Alex’s curious, treasure-hunting nature. He decides to supply her with gifts while figuring out what could have possibly made her say they were engaged.
The second half of My Darling Duke is a decent romance. But that first half. Whew, that is a kicker.
Kitty does not have a logical idea in her head for half the story, bless her heart. Her sobbing mom and bland sister don’t add a whole lot to the situation either, which helps add to the thick slog of the book.
I liked morose, tough, but loving-in-spite-of-himself Alex. His relationship with his bright-souled sister, Penny, was adorable. I hope she’s a future heroine of the series.
Alex and Kitty’s relationship is…well, a bit hard to swallow. They fall into absolute instalust with one another, even though she, y’know WALKED AROUND ON HIS PROPERTY WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION. They set this aside because, eh, screw it, they’re into each other and they have a similar sense of humor and adventure. This turns out well in the end, and the romance and banter does pick up, but the lack of logic grated on me like nothing else.
None of Kitty’s friends are interesting, which is a shame. Each of the wallflowers has their own predicaments. Maryann, for instance, has been betrothed to a man twice her age and plans to escape marriage by getting herself ruined by a notorious rake (in a book to come, natch). Surely they will burn in purgatory for these wild actions, they think, acting like every Regency heroine since Georgette Heyer learned how to write!
The author throws extra bits of spiky suspense – a carriage falls into a river, political rivalries are hatched – because the book needs a bit of perky action due to the heaviness of its ridiculous plot. As I said, things do pick up in the second half of the book, but by then it’s too little too late.
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Lisa Fernandes
Lisa Fernandes is a writer, reviewer and recapper who lives somewhere on the East Coast. Formerly employed by Firefox.org and Next Projection, she also currently contributes to Women Write About Comics. Read her blog at http://thatbouviergirl.blogspot.com/, follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/thatbouviergirl or contribute to her Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/MissyvsEvilDead or her Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com/missmelbouvier
Buy My Darling Duke by Stacy Reid:
Book Details
| Reviewer: | Lisa Fernandes |
|---|---|
| Review Date: | January 9, 2020 |
| Publication Date: | 12/2019 |
| Grade: | C- |
| Sensuality | Warm |
| Book Type: | Historical Romance |
| Review Tags: | AoC |
“It is hard for me to accept angst about scarring except in cases where the scarred person really loved the perfection of their body beforehand.”
I just finished another romance where the hero has the usual straight-down-one-cheek scar that doesn’t sound in the least ugly, but which is treated like the Mark of Cain. As you said, it’s difficult to get behind this kind of angst. Heck, when I watched “Master and Commander”, while I loved the main characters, I thought Lieutenant Pullings was hot, and that’s partly *because* of his scar.
The belief that one is destined to be unloved and alone because of a scar or disfiguration is all the stranger when the character in question has everything else going for them (money, title, intelligence, good health and appearance except for the one problem, etc).
“Related to this, I am convinced that in the time I have been reading Regencies — about 50 years — male characters have gone from being under or around six feet tall to being six feet, four inches.” Not surprising. I don’t see many titles with “millionaire” in them either.
Are there diaries or other historical documentation hat show people actively rejecting romantic partner ith scars in the Georgian and Regency eras? I am sure it can happen — then and now — but I wonder how common it is or was.
Smallpox scarring, war injuries, carriage and other accidents were not exactly uncommon. There was no orthodontia, no plastic surgery, and only crude limb replacements. My guess is that standards of beauty were more flexible, or at least different from contemporary air-brushed standards. In the course of the Napoleonic wars, there must have been a lot of men visible in public who had war wounds, from beggars, servants and other workers, to former officers.
It is hard for me to accept angst about scarring except in cases where the scarred person really loved the perfection of their body beforehand. Have also gotten kind of tired of the kissing-the-scars scenes. I am not sure if I distrust them or if I dislike them because they are predictable.
I would like to see more focus on relative appearance instead of absolutes. Skin can be more luminous in the beauty than in those around her, lips can be redder, men can be the tallest or among the tallest in the room without having a stated height. (Related to this, I am convinced that in the time I have been reading Regencies — about 50 years — male characters have gone from being under or around six feet tall to being six feet, four inches. I find the over six-footers to be implausible in most cases.) increasingly, I learn more about social standards of today when reading descriptions that writers put in historicals.
“I learn more about social standards of today when reading descriptions that writers put in historicals.” Those are all really good points that you made.
I’m not a huge fan of Regencies myself (when I do read them, it is generally *despite* the setting, not because of it), so you have probably seen a lot more 21st century impositions than I have. The thing about height, I’m with you. I don’t think a hero has to be ridiculously tall for the time period in order to be hero material. Heck, why does the hero even have to be the tallest man in the room? Some of us like our heroes short and cute, even though that seems to be a minority opinion. On that note, has anyone ever seen a romance, HR or otherwise, where the heroine is taller than the hero? All interesting things to think about.
“On that note, has anyone ever seen a romance, HR or otherwise, where the heroine is taller than the hero?”
The only one that comes to mind is Pamela Morsi’s “The Love Charm”, which I reviewed. The hero is the shortest man in their community, and the story is wonderfully romantic.
There are a few – a very few – historicals where the heroine is taller than the hero. The most well-known one is probably Mary Balogh’s Lord Carew’s Bride.
The hero in Desperate Hearts by Alexis Harrington is short. I can’t remember if the heroine is taller.
Wow! Thanks for all the recs. The only two examples I have seen in movies that I recall with a tall heroine and short hero were the couple in “Pleasantville” and Julia Child’s sister and her beau in “Julie and Julia.”
That’s an interesting use of nuance. Definitely shows how blurred lines can get – it’s not as simple as the bigots being easy to identify and loathe because they’re the complete opposite of the marginalized person. And it’s quite true that outcasts don’t always welcome and support other outcasts simply because of their common ground. I’m always glad to come across a textured, thoughtful portrayal, so thanks for recommending these movies!
You are so welcome! I am in total agreement with you about nuance, which both of these made for TV films portray nicely without ever being preachy. Plus, they have a good balance of humor and seriousness, just like life. I hope you enjoy the films!
I think it’s a crime these movies aren’t better known, but I also think it’s precisely because they were both made for television that they never achieved mainstream recognition. And I get it. There’s a not completely unfounded stereotype about made for TV movies being formulaic or low quality or whatever. But since “The Naked Civil Servant” was originally slated to be a theatrical release, but no British studio wanted to touch it back in 1975 because of its (for that time) shocking homosexual content, a British television channel snapped it up. And it doesn’t for a minute feel like it didn’t come out of a movie studio. (The only way the second movie feels like it was made for TV is some overly obvious fade to blacks for commercial breaks, but this is a minor nitpick.)
“He has been in seclusion trying to heal from a leg injury, stubbornly refusing to use the wheelchair his doctor recommends even though hobbling around plunges him into agony, and castigates himself as an unlovable, scarred ‘cripple.'” Hmm… Where have I seen this before? Oh, yeah. Pretty much any other brooding HR hero who has been injured and hides himself from the world on the grounds that he’s supposedly “unlovable.” I’m not saying nobody reacts that way, but this lack of variety in HR coping mechanisms makes me want to read Marian Perera’s WIP about the disfigured man who goes out of his way to be seen in public and be friendly. (I hope you’re making good progress on your story, Ms. Perera!)
Thank you! The manuscript is done and I’m querying it while writing the next in the series.
And yes, I was also inspired by every other scarred/disfigured hero in romance either becoming a recluse or considering himself ugly/unlovable or both. Not only is that predictable, but IMO, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you think that despite all your good points, no one will ever care about you, then you’re going to act in such a way as to drive people off, but if you decide that you’re going to be friendly and outgoing and confident, people will be drawn to that. It was great fun to write about a hero talking the second option.
I had an idea for a heroine who was badly scarred on one side of her face and left with a limp after an accident. She gets herself a number of half masks covering the scarred side of her face, all richly bedizened with jewels and embroidery to match all her outfits, and matching tall staffs with paint and ribbons. She then sallies forth to enjoy life.
I have no idea when I will ever get around to writing it, but I like the idea.
Typo! Should be “a hero taking the second option”.
And Lil, I love your idea! It’s a wonderfully self-assured approach on the heroine’s part. I hope you do get around to writing it some day.
Ooh! That sounds fabulous. Do I sense some inspiration from “Phantom of the Opera” or Susan Kay’s “Phantom?”
I think it’s especially cool you want to make the heroine scarred and with a limp because, even today, it seems as though heroes are allowed to be physically scarred but not so much with heroines. I will give Tessa Dare credit for her story, “The Duchess Deal,” in which the heroine suffered an injury which I won’t mention because of spoilers. But compared to the hero’s battle scarred body, her wound was relatively tame.
Another rec for injury handled well is Cat Sebastian’s novel “A Delicate Deception,” in which a side character became mostly blind because of a fire (i.e. he was struck on the back of the head with a falling beam) but doesn’t totally withdraw from human interaction.
“…it seems as though heroes are allowed to be physically scarred but not so much with heroines.”
Historical heroines with disabilities or facial disfigurations seem quite rare. The only ones that come to mind are from two of Mary Balogh’s romances, “Someone to Wed” and one of the Survivor’s Club novels which I can’t recall at the moment. Oh, and didn’t the heroine in Jo Beverley’s “Hazard” have a club foot? That leaves a lot of room at the table for more such characters, especially if they don’t become retiring or avoid people as a result.
Oh, I didn’t realize you had finished the novel. You must be a fast writer. Congratulations, and good luck finding a publisher (or self-publishing)!
I like what you said about self-fulfilling prophecies. It reminds me of the wonderful British made-for-TV movie “The Naked Civil Servant,” a biographical story about Quentin Crisp. Keep in mind he was an openly gay, effeminate, and flamboyant man living in the 1920s. The way he presented himself, unfortunately, sometimes caused him to be subject to violence and social exclusion. He was even thrown out of secret gay bars for being too gay! But he never stopped being who he was, carved out a nice life for himself, immigrated to America in his early 70s, and lived to the ripe old age of 90 with a surprising cult following. He was quite a fascinating person- complicated and sometimes controversial- and I highly recommend the two movies about his life, the other one being the sequel “An Englishman in New York.” But I think both films about his life show how his politeness and tenaciousness in being himself eventually caused people to take notice and perhaps even change their attitudes toward those who are different. And it sounds like your hero’s determination to be out and about will cause the same positive change among those around him.
“You must be a fast writer.”
I also don’t spend any time on Twitter. :)
Thanks for the info about Quentin Crisp. He sounds like an amazing person, and you’re quite right–his determination to be himself must have made an impact on people. I love stories about people who know what they want and go for it, and if what they want is to be part of society despite being marginalized in some way, I’m going to be cheering all the harder for them to succeed.
You are welcome! I learned about Quentin Crisp totally by accident when I was channel surfing years ago and the film “An Englishman in New York” popped up on Logo. Even though it was the sequel, and I was a little confused about this movie they kept referencing (the movie being the first one- “The Naked Civil Servant”), I thought it was amazing. Of course, it helps that the late, great John Hurt plays Quentin Crisp in both the original and the sequel. They looked a lot alike in real life! And I think it was nice Mr. Crisp lived to see the first movie made about his life and thought it was “amazing.”
“I love stories about people who know what they want and go for it, and if what they want is to be part of society despite being marginalized in some way, I’m going to be cheering all the harder for them to succeed.” Yep, it’s awesome to see people in books and movies who are persistent despite the odds. What I found fascinating about Quentin Crisp in particular, is that he was definitely an outcast in mainstream society but also discriminated against by other outcasts. Like I mentioned before, in the 1920s or 1930s, he was thrown out of clandestine gay bars for being too gay. And in 1980s New York, he was thrown out of a leather bar because a certain segment of the gay population at that time and place thought his campy effeminacy presented a “bad image” of homosexuality. So the poor man got picked on from nearly every angle. BUT he also had many admirers who appreciated how he never wavered in just being who he was. And despite some of his shocking comments on certain issues, I am still a fan as well.
Damn it, now I want to read about a woman who sets out to ruin herself, ends up ruined (disowned, ostracized, what have you) and thinks, “Hm, this ruining thing really isn’t all it’s cut out to be!”
Ha!
I’m still waiting for that book too. The only one I can think of that comes close to that plot is “An Inconvenient Kiss” by Caroline Kimberly (Carina Press). If I remember correctly, the plot revolves around a young woman who ends up in a scandal because someone catches her in a supposedly compromising position- so she has to ride out the “scandal” abroad with relatives in India. At least, I think that’s the gist of it. It’s been so long since I’ve read it, and it may not hold up that well. But that’s really the only example I can think of about a romance heroine getting “ruined” and thinking “Yikes. This is *not* a good thing.”
Hah! I’ve seen books that have TRIED that and yet failed to complete the mission, so to speak.