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Title: The Duke Next Door (Heiress Brides)
ISBN: 0312939698
Author:
Celeste Bradley
Publicate Date: 2008-04-01
Publish: 2008-04-01
List Price: $6.99
Average Customer Rating: 3.0
Format: Mass Market Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $0.68
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.01
Amazon Merchant Price: $6.99
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Nothing redeems this one.....
This is the second Celeste Bradley book that I have read and it will be the last. I thought perhaps this series needed a bit of warming into, so I continued on after reading the very silly, boring and disappointing first entry (Desperately Seeking A Duke). Big mistake.
The Duke Next Door has absolutely nothing going for it. I found it to be incredibly boring. There was no romance, no heat and really no plot. The heroine was annoying, shallow, not very likable and not well drawn. The hero was just blah. Midway through the book the hero for the third and last book in this series was introduced. Nothing that was written about him enticed me into continuing with this series.
Once again we have a glowing back cover description that makes one wonder if whoever wrote it actually read the book or was perhaps giving into a bout of wishful thinking.
The reader is led to believe that our hero had some huge secret that was responsible for him being so cold, unfeeling and absolutely miserable to his new bride. The secret, once revealed didn't live up to it's billing and was in truth a non-event. Add the silly sub-plot of the two idiots responsible for maintaining the Pickering trust and the boring miserable excuse for an anti-hero that was supposed to provide a bit of intrigue and you have a recipe for disaster.
I totally gave up on this one and by three quarters through the book, was skimming and skipping whole pages of this yawner.
Maybe it's time for authors to release books more slowly and get back to basics. I can't be the only one growing tired of cookie cutter regency romances where one simply has to change the names to protect the guilty. The reading public isn't stupid and quality is worth waiting for.
Bottom line, save your money and skip this whole series. I am going to save even more by skipping this author entirely in the future.
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2: enjoyable
I was not disappointed with this second in a series. Not sure why some of the reviews are so brutal, bad day perhaps? I found it to be a light, fast read.
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3: Banal
I have read all three in the series, with this one being the last. I am glad I read the other two before reading The Duke Next Door, or I would never have picked up the other two in the series. The character turn-around was weak and banal. Where as the other two books in the series seemed more plausible (as plausible as you can get in a romance novel--not that I am complaining) and the characters more likeable, this seemed compulsory. All that being said, I do like this author, this book just wasn't her best attempt.
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4: The Duke Next Door
Dierdre Cantor is the most beautiful of her cousins. The same cousins she is vying against to win her grandfather's fortune. Dierdre is determined to be the first to marry a duke. When Calder, the Marquis of Brookhaven and future Duke of Brookmoor, is left without a bride, Dierdre makes her move.
Before her wedding day is over, Dierdre's hope of a fantastic new life is crushed when she learns that Calder has kept a devastating secret from her. Hurt and let down, Dierdre resolves to make Calder pay for his transgression. Whereas Calder is just as single-minded in his desire to make Dierdre his true wife in every way.
Fans of the historical romance genre must try Celeste Bradley. The Heiress trilogy is a great place to start. The Duke Next Door is filled with sexual tension, sharp dialogue and heart scalding romance. You'll love Dierdre's stubborn resolve and Calder's sensual persuasion. The Duke Next Door is delicious!
Annmarie
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
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5: Another light read
It's an entertaining book, with sparks of humor, although it's not great in the romance department.
After Rafe's and Phoebe's wedding in Desperately Seeking a Duke, Deirdre proposes to Calder and he accepts. The book covers the relationship between the new couple, intertwined with the continuous schemes of the solicitors, the romance between the butler and the maid, and the beginnings of a friendship between cousin Sophie and Graham, Lady Tessa's cousin.
Calder is a character difficult to warm up to. He's very obtuse and clumsy with his feelings, somewhat cold, almost like a robot sometimes. In some moments it's very frustrating, comparing Deirdre with his first wife, but at least his behaviour is somewhat coherent with his character. I didn't love him, but he made a better impression than in the last book, especially towards the end.
Deirdre, or Dee, it's a more interesting character, although sometimes tiresome. She'd fell in love with Calder years ago, something not very understandable, so their relationship loses spark. It's interesting to see her planning how things are going to be in their marriage, to have them fall apart when she begins to really know her husband and discovers he has a daughter.
Their relationship isn't great, it seems forced and doesn't have much chemistry. It's more interesting and real the relationship between Dee and Calder's daughter, first with acceptance and uncertainty, and finally with care and love.
The book left me wanting Sophie and Graham story, which has the potential to be the best of the trilogy. I give it 3 stars, but like the first book, it would be better 2 ??.
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