Miss Minerva Lane is a quiet, bespectacled wallflower,
and she wants to keep it that way. After all, the last time she was the center
of attention, it ended badly—so badly that she changed her name to escape her
scandalous past. Wallflowers may not be the prettiest of blooms, but at least
they don't get trampled. So when a handsome duke comes to town, the last thing
she wants is his attention. But that is precisely what she gets. Because Robert
Blaisdell, the Duke of Clermont, is not fooled. When Minnie figures out what he's
up to, he realizes there is more to her than her spectacles and her quiet ways.
And he's determined to lay her every secret bare before she can discover his.
But this time, one shy miss may prove to be more than his match…
Good book. I thought the beginning was a little bit slow,
but it picked up quickly. The story's premise was interesting, if a bit
unlikely, and ended up being a fun read.
Robert and Minnie first meet at a ball where he hid
behind a curtain to avoid dealing with people. While he is there, Minnie comes
looking for a place to escape her wannabe fiancé and ends up hiding behind the
couch that's in front of his curtain. The subsequent conversation leaves Robert
intrigued with her intelligence and fire.
Minnie is a young woman with a big secret. After an
unusual childhood that ended in scandal and betrayal by her father, she changed
her name and moved in with her aunts. Since that time, Minnie cultivated a
persona of a quiet, meek, and mild wallflower, frequently compared to a mouse.
Thanks to her past, she fears crowds and being the center of attention. She
also craves love and a feeling of security. Minnie works quietly with others for
better conditions for the poor. She was a chess prodigy as a child and is
highly intelligent as an adult.
Robert is deeply ashamed of his father, the previous
duke, and vows to be nothing like him. To that end, he came to Leicester to
right a wrong done to some workers at a factory he owns. Robert also has a
deeper purpose, one that employs an unexpected method of investigation.
As the story opens, a local law enforcement official
confronts Minnie, accusing her of writing and distributing seditious flyers. These
flyers encourage workers to strike, form unions, and do other
anti-business/pro-worker activities. He informs her of his investigation of her
and knows she is not who she claims to be. Minnie, terrified of being exposed,
decides finding the actual author of the flyers will prove her innocence. It
doesn't take her long to settle on Robert as the most likely suspect.
I loved Minnie's visit to Robert at his home. She laid
out her suspicions and requested that he confess, thus taking the heat off her.
Robert, of course, refuses her request, citing a lack of proof. He doesn't
intend to quit until he reaches his goal. Minnie promises to get the evidence
and that she won't hesitate to use it. Meanwhile, Robert vows to flirt with her
and make her the center of attention. I love how she laughs at him and tells
him no one will believe it. I loved the scene where she proved him right, her
public mouse-like persona making a hash of his attempts to flirt with her.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between
Minnie and Robert. She intrigues him, and the more he gets to know her, the
deeper his fascination goes. I liked how he found so many chances to spend time
with Minnie, getting to know her, and enjoying getting past her mouse façade. There's
a fun scene that takes place on the train from London to Leicester. Robert
wants to spend the time talking to Minnie, but his cousin Sebastian and their
friend Violet take over the conversation. Minnie is equally fascinated by Robert,
but she sees no future in it with her past what it is.
As Robert continues his investigation, he unwittingly
implicates Minnie in his latest flyer. Through a twisted series of events, the
only way to save Minnie is for her to marry Robert. I liked their discussion of
the practicalities, but both dropped the ball by not admitting their feelings. I
loved their honeymoon to Paris and seeing them come together. But their
honeymoon comes to an abrupt end when they receive a message that Robert's half-brother
has been arrested and accused of writing those damning flyers. I ached for
Robert, who had to decide whether to save his brother by betraying Minnie or
protecting Minnie and allowing Oliver to suffer. The courtroom scene was
intense and had me on the edge of my seat as it played out.
The ending surprised me with a couple of unexpected
twists. I enjoyed the scene with the reporters, especially Robert's unswerving
support for Minnie. I also liked the resolution of Robert's investigation.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was the
look at the plight of workers in Victorian times. It's a subject not often seen
in romance novels, and it made a nice change. I also found Robert's views on
the aristocracy unexpected.
I liked getting to know Robert's half-brother, Oliver, a
bit and learning a little of the complicated history of the two of them.
Robert's cousin, Sebastian, was an interesting character with his flirtatious manner
and high spirits. There was a great scene with the three men as Sebastian and
Oliver have pre-wedding advice for Robert.
I can't wait to read the other two books in the series.
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