Daring the Duke by Charlie Lane Book Review

 

Title: Daring the Duke (The Debutante Dares #1)
Author: Charlie Lane
Publish Date: October 7th, 2021
Publisher: Wolf Publishing
Source: Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy!

In this Regency romance by Charlie Lane, a London season of scandalous dares forces a lady and her duke to see that perfect isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

A redheaded bluestocking in desperate need of a wealthy husband.

>A handsome duke looking for the perfect duchess.

And a dare that shows that opposites may not only attract but can be so much more.

Lady Tabitha Hampton has the memory of an elephant. Her sharp brain locks everything away tight as a trunk in an attic. But this talent fails to help the twenty-seven-year-old bluestocking attract the attention of a single wealthy suitor. And she needs one. With three sisters of marriageable age, a sickly father, and a series of bad investments draining their dowries, Tabitha’s marriage could save or ruin her entire family.

The Duke of Collingford needs a wife, but not just any one will do. Arthur’s future duchess must be perfect in every way—fair of face, impeccable manners, with enough social influence to impact his parliamentary projects. When he joins the whirl of the London season, the duke finds an insufferable, redheaded wallflower instead.

Tabitha insists she can be the perfect duchess, if he’ll only give her the chance. Arthur agrees to test her abilities, but she tests his control. And one taste of her lips is enough to make him embrace chaos.

Opposites may attract, but can they cooperate? Or will they lose everything, including their hearts?

Penelope's Review

This is my first book from this author, so I didn't know what to expect in terms of content and writing style. This ended up being a quick, enjoyable read but I did find it a bit slow at times. I definitely enjoyed the writing style, but the characters themselves were not my favourite. They both seemed a bit immature given their age (Tabitha 27, Arthur early 30's), and they erred on the side of boring at times. The book started out great, and the premise here is really interesting but it could have been done differently in my opinion. Perhaps a quicker pace, especially getting closer to the end. 

Between the two, I'd say Tabitha had much more substance to her character over Arthur. The photographic memory was a neat touch, and I liked her spirit. Arthur on the other hand was too stiff and unrelatable. 

I liked Tabitha's friends - I'm assuming the next book will be focused on one of them, so I think I will give it a try as I enjoyed their parts in this story. 

Rating: 3/5 Devils