No Ordinary Duchess

Julian and Elspeth were both intriguing in their own ways. I really liked the broodiness of Julian but would have rather not gone down the path of sensuality he took us on. That’s just not my preference. Elspeth was fun and bright and perfect for him. I liked her immediately and was excited to see where her character would land. Lots of things were happening in this book and I’m not sure that any of them were fully flushed out.

I enjoyed that his book started innocent enough with a cheerful Lady Elspeth de Moray in a library however things soon take a turn when brooding Julian Greycourt enters. This set the tone of the book, we never know what twists will present itself. Elspeth’s nature of being unconventional and lovely around the need-to-be-proper Julian was entertaining. There were laugh out loud moments when big grins weren’t enough!

Not an ordinary duke, either! With an opening that speaks right to a bibliophile's heart, this book drew me in from the very first page and held me spellbound throughout. Julian is carrying a heavy emotional burden, has been for years, and as we know from the previous book it's all he can do to stay one step ahead of his uncle's attempts to kill him. Elspeth, then, sweeps into his life - and libraries - like a breath of fresh air, showing him that there's so much more to life than just surviving it. He has a dark secret, and (hopefully without revealing too much) I have to say it was the first time I've ever read of such a situation in an historical romance. I loved the way Elspeth handled it, providing what he needed while also showing him all the respect and honor he was due, recognizing that his particular preferences didn't diminish him in any way. I wasn't sure I'd like Julian after discovering this, but when you put the whole person together - the way he was raised, the trauma he's endured, the burden he's carried - it really makes perfect sense for his character. My only disappointment in this book was that we really didn't get a resolution to the diary that Elspeth sought. Hopefully that will be explained more in a future book. Everything else about this story was simply exquisite, and I loved reading every bit. Because it had been so long since I read the first two, I reread them again and I can honestly say all three hold up well for reading again and again. Highly recommend this entire series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.