Review: My Darling Duke (Sinful Wallflowers #1) by Stacy Reid

Print Length: 352 pages

Publisher: Entangled Amara (December 31, 2019)

From Goodreads.com:  Miss Katherine Danvers is a desperate wallflower. Her family is on the brink of financial ruin, and it is up her to save her mother and sisters from a life of indignities. So she transforms herself into the incomparable Kitty Danvers, the fiancée of the enigmatic and reclusive Alexander Masters, Duke of Thornton—once dubbed the mad, bad, and dangerous catch of the Season.

Ten years ago, society and the woman Alexander Masters loved called him a monster, after a tragic accident left him scarred and confined to a wheelchair. His heart exists in cold, lonely exile, until he learns he has a fiancée—a deceptive, clever, and utterly intriguing woman he's never met. Miss Danvers will now learn the consequences of engaging herself to the beast, for Alexander is determined to make her his. Soon, they are involved in a chase, a clash of wills, and though he once vowed to never love again, he burns for the enchanting Miss Danvers. And denying his heart may cost him an exquisite love that happens only once in a lifetime.

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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

I had a hard time connecting to these characters. Separately? I liked them. Katherine isn't your typical well-bred young miss. She has moxie and a certain imprudence that makes her stand out from the crowd. It was easy to see why Alexander was curious about her. And even easier to see why he was taken with her. 

It was also understandable why he stayed away from society, and why he was reluctant to allow Katherine to get close to him. After the horrors that he had endured, and the resulting pain and disfigurement, not to mention believing himself impotent, it was easy to understand. However, it was hard to root for a couple where the man is so hot and cold towards the female. 

There were times where to story felt stilted. It seemed like they covered the same ground again and again without ever having accomplished anything. They fall a little more in love with the other, he says or does something hurtful, or just plain backs off, she comes back for more. I feel with a little less angst, and a little more of the playful interactions between these two, it would have been a more enjoyable story. 

However, with this being the first in a new series, I will say that I enjoyed it, and the author's style enough that I would continue on to see what happens next.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

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                                 My Darling Duke is available from Amazon.com