Review: The Duke's Holiday (The Regency Romp Trilogy #1) by Maggie Fenton

Print Length: 434 pages

Publisher: Montlake Romance (April 7, 2015)

From Goodreads.com: The Duke of Montford, cold, precise, and more powerful than the Prince Regent himself, wants things the way he wants them: cross-referenced, indexed, and at his beck and call. And he always gets what he wants. 

Until he meets Astrid Honeywell. And a giant pig. And a crooked castle in the middle of Yorkshire. 

Astrid Honeywell, staunch bluestocking, has struggled for years to keep her family together by running the estate and family brewery after her father's death. She is not about to let the tyrannical Duke of Montford steal away all she has worked for because of some antiquated contract between their families. So when the priggish Duke comes to call, she does everything in her power—including setting the family pig on him—to drive him away. 

She didn't expect him to be so... well, infuriatingly attractive. Every time he scowls at her, she has the most improper desire to kiss him—and a whole lot more. 

Montford can't decide whether to strangle Astrid or seduce her. The one thing he knows for a fact is that he must resist his powerful attraction for her at all costs. He has a very proper, very demure fiancée waiting for him back in London, after all. But when Astrid is kidnapped by a disgruntled suitor and whisked off to Gretna Green, Montford will do anything to get her back. 

Will these two drive each other to Bedlam... or can they make it to the altar without killing each other? 

Includes a fiery heroine, mistaken identities, errant livestock, pompadours, drunken declarations, a touch of smex, and enough witty banter to sink a ship. 

NOTE: This is a sexy historical romance. Recommended for 18+ due to adult content.

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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

This story was... interesting. I feel as though the author showed a lot of potential, however this story didn't quite achieve the levels I think the author intended. 

To begin with Astrid was not the intelligent person she thinks she is. She can't just tell a property owner that he has no right to his property just because she's been taking care of it. She doesn't give a fig for her reputation, nor that of her family (because lets be honest the two youngest siblings are out of control a fact that she even encourages as an attempt to be rid of Montford). She thinks she's cunning when in fact, in the eyes of the law, she's a liar and a thief. Being forward thinking does not mean you are right. Especially not in this time period.

Montford is no better, coming across for the better part of the story as someone who is spoiled by his own self-importance (honestly, who descends upon a household and declare what they will and will not do and expects that to end well?) 

As to the supposed romance between these two? I wish there had been something other than kisses to show for it. He spends most of the book wanting to throttle her, or thinking (or actually telling her) that she is wrong. Because she has two different colored eyes, red-hair and freckles. Even when he supposedly loves her, he's still complaining that she looks wrong. Because that's romantic. But she distracts him from his weak stomach for traveling, and his severe OCD, so I guess she can handle being wrong looking.

There were a few laugh-out-loud moments, and just enough over all plot to keep me interested, so I don't feel like this was a waste of time. In fact, I'm nearly certain some of the things that kept me from fully enjoying this novel, other people will be able to overlook. All things considered, I would read more from this author.

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                          The Duke's Holiday is available from Amazon.com