Book Blurb:
The Duke and Duchess, with their infant son, are living in a pretty villa on the outskirts of the royal township of Versailles, preparing for Antonia's court presentation. With them is Lord Vallentine—kicked out of home by his pregnant wife—and Martin Ellicott, who receives news from the Duke that changes his life forever. And while a year has passed since Roxton rescued Antonia from the clutches of his evil cousin the Comte de Salvan, Salvan continues his insidious interference in their lives from his place of exile, and with the collusion of the Salvan ancient aunts. But Roxton is determined that nothing and no one will ruin the happiness of His Duchess, or their life together.
Book Buy LInk: https://geni.us/dgXMh5U
Author Bio:
LUCINDA BRANT is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of award-winning Georgian historical romances and mysteries. She writes about families, creating worlds that are full of history, heart, and Happily Ever Afters.
Lucinda has university degrees in history, politics, law, and a post graduate degree in education. Now a full-time writer, she has had many careers: university administrator; selling merch at rock concerts; mentor to first year medical students; and history and geography teacher at an exclusive boarding school for young ladies.
Lucinda lives in the middle of a koala reserve, so the neighbors are cute and cuddly and sleep all day. She has been researching and reading about the 18th Century for forty years, and still finds the Georgian era just as fascinating now as then.
Lucinda is a proud member of: The Jewels of Historical Romance; Novelists Inc.; The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi); and the Audio Publishers Association (APA).
Lucinda's many awards include:
$10,000 Random House/Woman’s Day Romantic Fiction Prize for NOBLE SATYR
12x IndieBRAG Medallion
8x Readers' Favorite medalist
3x finalist for the RONE award. DAIR DEVIL awarded the RONE Historical Novel of the Year
Chatelaine Romantic Fiction First In Category Award winner for DAIR DEVIL
2x finalist for the Romance Writers of Australia Romantic Book of the Year (RBY) award for NOBLE SATYR and DEADLY ENGAGEMENT
"Quizzing glass and quill, into my sedan chair and away! The 1700s rock!"
Editorial Review:
Reading His Duchess felt as if one was being surrounded by the company of old friends. After reading Noble Satyr, the first instalment in the series, the characters and their lives linger with the reader. It is one of the greatest gifts to be returned to such characters and see how their lives continue to unfold.
His Duchess is set in France in 1746. After the drama and events that took place in Noble Satyr, readers are offered a much calmer, slower paced novel. Instead of riding the waves of the trials and tribulations of the scandals of Court life, readers are privy to the domestic harmony that Roxton and Antonia are experiencing with their newborn son, Julian. He is the apple of his mother’s eye and in typical Antonia fashion, she does not conduct herself in the way which was expected at the time. Instead of outsourcing her mothering duties to nannies and maids and returning to Court the instant her son is born, she remains in their quaint villa, helping the nannies and nurse maids raise the ducal infant.
Readers continue to see the characters growing and developing into their new roles. Roxton in particular seems dramatically changed by this momentous event in his life. This quote beautifully depicts the total transformation the duke has undergone in the space of a couple of years, “He was a creature of habit, a taciturn disciple of order and obedience. Life revolved around him, conformed to his expectations, and his very existence set its particular pattern and rhythm. Anything less was undignified chaos below what was expected of a duke, and not just any duke, but the Duke of Roxton, grandson of an English duke and a French comte, and an unbroken patrician lineage stretching back centuries. And yet, since becoming a husband and a father, his world had tilted on its axis. There was a continual disruption to the pattern of his days, its rhythm frenetic at best. He woke never knowing what the day would bring. The only constants he had were his household … and the unconditional love and devotion of the woman who had not only captured his heart but turned his life on its end.”
All is peaceful in their lives until a letter from Salvan disrupts the harmonious rhythm within the household. In its pages he begs the Duke to look upon his heir, Hubert, favorably. A good word from the Duke would see that Hubert does not live in the shadow of shame and ruin which Salvan brought upon the family name. His own son, Etienne, sadly died on route to being locked up in the Bastille. Salvan’s self-deprecating words do little to soften the Duke towards him or his heir, “The boy has the great misfortune of being my heir since the demise of my own poor son (may his tortured soul now rest in peace), and will inherit all my worldly goods, as well as the ancient family title and lands, when my miserable carcass finally breathes its last. He is also destined to inherit my shame and misfortune.” Nonetheless, Hubert visits the Duke’s home on two occasions and is slowly becoming acquainted with the noble family.
Although the pace of the novel is slower than the first instalment, important events are revealed which give readers are more complete outlook of the characters. This is especially true regarding Roxton. While he was depicted as aloof and cold in Noble Satyr, readers are provided with insight into his life as a child and how he became the way he is now. When his father died, Roxton was cruelly taken away from his mother at age five. He was forced to live with a contemptuous and wicked grandfather who abused him. His only friend and savior was Martin Ellicott who has been his valet for years. Roxton admits to Ellicott that in order to cope with his life, he had to put on an act as evidenced in the following quote, “Concealing my thoughts and feelings from the world became a way of life, a way of surviving the wretchedness of my existence. I was so good at it that with time I hardly knew when not to act. And I have, in part, been – er- acting ever since.” This enhances readers empathy and understanding regarding his behavior and demeanor.
While this novel was highly enjoyable and it was a pure delight to return to the lives of the characters, the pacing of the book to be a little too slow. There were certain scenes which felt unnecessarily dragged out. For instance, Antonia is learning how to be a duchess and makes several trips ‘below stairs’ to the servant’s quarters and the kitchens. While she is doing this to learn more about the workings of running a grand household, it is not seen as proper behavior from a duchess. While it was an interesting scene and important when it comes to understanding Antonia’s character further and the type of duchess she wants to be, several pages dedicated to this one issue were excessive. The dialogue felt circular at one point whereby Roxton and Antonia were just repeating their message and point of view in different ways. After several exchanges, the additional dialogue and pressing the point felt unnecessary. Moreover, it did not move the storyline along in any way.
However, the novel presented as very enjoyable and several important themes were addressed within the novel. For instance, the trials and difficulties of parenthood was a firmly established theme which was interwoven within all elements of the plot. I believe this is important as childbirth and childrearing are life changing and exhausting experiences. It is almost cathartic (especially for parents) to see this reflected in a book. While the first novel focused on scandals, intrigue, subterfuge, and dramatic plot twists, it is pleasant to see a totally different perspective revealed, which is one of domesticity and harmony. This reviewer personally appreciate this because it is reflective of the trajectory of many people’s lives. One day, life is full of dazzling excitement and new experiences, the next it is full of burping babies and establishing sleep schedules. The author is truly talented in being able to portray both sides of life in such a realistic manner.
*****
“His Duchess” by Lucinda Brant receives 4 stars from The Historical Fiction Company
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