My Darling Duke (Sinful Wallflowers)

Product Information

Alexander Masters, Duke of Thornton, may not have set foot in London in over seven years, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have family and friends there. When he gets a visit from his godmother asking about his betrothal, he’s intrigued and has his butler acquire copies of any and all scandal sheets that carry stories about him and his betrothed. As he reads those stories, he becomes more and more intrigued by that brave and intrepid lady who is brazen enough to claim a betrothal with him. He’s not angry (well, maybe a little) and isn’t looking for revenge (well, maybe a little) – he is just intrigued – and he sets off for London. He’s not sure what he’ll do when he gets there, but… This book is teeming with deep emotion and pain, both physical and emotional. But we also have amusement, wit, and genuine happiness that just makes you smile throughout the story. The complexity of the characters Reid crafted just really touched my heart. Now, where thing fell a bit flat for me was … duh. duh. the plot. See, there are two underlying plot threads happening. In the one corner, we have Maryann seeking ruination in an attempt to stop the marriage between her, and this dusty ass duke. Personally, I liked this plot point a lot. We really got to see Maryann take her fate in her own hands. She, above anyone else, fought for her independence and happiness.

I finished reading this book yesterday and it has been on my mind all day today. It is a wonderful book filled with wit, humor, and hope – so much hope. We have a truly traumatized and damaged hero and I absolutely loved how this author handled him, his injuries, his spirit, and his bleak outlook on his future. This could have been one of those dark, intense, angsty books that I hate, but it wasn’t that way at all. I’m not usually a huge fan of the retelling of fairy tales, but this Beauty and the Beast retelling was almost magical. This is my first book by this author, but I can assure you I will give her books another try. My first Stacy Reid book! And I have... mixed feelings. 🤪 There are some things I really enjoyed and some that didn’t thrill me unfortunately. So yes, long review short, 3 stars is well-deserved for My Darling Duke. Again, this is my interpretation and I sincerely don’t mean to offend or contradict any of my GR friends who loved this book. We all share the love of romance but also embrace each other’s differences and tastes. Also, I hope I’m not the only one who rolled her eyes in this scene (it was when they almost drown in the river) Major spoilers ahead, and I am not adding the spoiler tag as it might take away from the review, so please read at your discretion.

On Instagram

I feel that with the growing sense of success with each encounter, his confidence would have built, lending a solid weight to their romance, as opposed to one seduction becoming a cure-all. Or maybe I am putting the burden of delivering the Sun, Stars and the Moon on Ms Reid's shoulders. Oh my! With such a tormented, broken hero, it is no wonder I was completely captivated by every word in this book. I'm still swooning, clutching my pearls and fainting all at the same time because of this!! What an awesome and refreshing read!!! The story was so lovely and the main gurl? Oh my god, she was so awesome, she had a great personality, a very smart and imaginative mind and she wasn't afraid to put her feelings out there. She was brave and unapologetic in what she wanted, she went for it and achieved things. Loved her, wanna be like her, best heroine I've read in a while!!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

H (Hero) rating: 4 stars. Alexander. I liked him! I wanted to shake him a few times, but I understood where he was coming from enough to forgive him too.I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.* Alexander had an accident that both left him scarred but also affected his ability to walk. Having faced judgement following the accident he set up home in Scotland and decided to keep his distance from the London crowd. I loved his character so much as he became more and more interested in Kitty and their friendship grew. He tried to push her away on numerous occasions because he did not want Kitty to sacrifice so much for him and it was so great to read about their growing feelings for each other. Now, Alexander was such lovable hero! I fell in love with him and his quiet soul so easily. He’s different from other ‘Beasts’ in BT&B retellings in the sense that he had already accepted his disabilities and really had no hopes for matrimony. Although he did lash out at times, I felt like it was completely understandable. I felt for his loneliness and was so happy that he ultimately found intimate tenderness in the silence he shared with Kitty.