The Accidental Duchess starts off with a bang. Lydia is blackmailed and she has to figure a way to keep the contents of a manuscript she wrote from leaking out. Desperate, she agrees with to an old bet with the Duke of Penthurst. She’s willing to wage her innocence over cards. If he loses he has to give her the sum the blackmailer wants, ten thousand pounds–a vast amount back then.
Of course, trying to solve her problems, Lydia seems to get even more tangled into a mess. During this process, she raises the curiosity of the Duke, who then becomes an ally.
I loved the dialogue of the book. I could not only believe it was British but that it was historical. There were no slips, no modern words and yet nothing sounded stilted or awkward. It wasn’t just the dialogue that’s worthy of praise, Madeline has a great way of sliding delicious, little hints along with her descriptions adding hugely to the plot. They’re like little succulent crumbs and I ate them up wondering where they were leading. Nothing was stated over and over until it became nauseating. On the contrary, if anything we were left wanting more which made me turn those pages faster and faster.
A powerful, strong alpha hero and an intelligent heroine that has come upon tough times always draws my interest and this one was no exception. This is a great book for those who like historical romance and anyone looking for a great summer read.
Taylor Grace 
Stupid question – I like historic fiction but haven’t looked this up yet. What is the time period?
No such thing as a stupid question, Trent! And its Regency times…like the 1800’s. Before the steam engine. When they would go around in curricles and wear high-waisted gowns. They had just started dancing the waltz and it was considered very ‘risqué’. It’s a lovely time in history–at least from the romance novel point of view.
Ah, about Jane Austin period then, maybe a decade later
That’s it!
This sounds right up my alley, will definitely be picking up a copy. Great review 🙂
I LOVE Madeline Hunter…she’s fantastic. Let me know what you think of it, okay?
Will do! I have a few books to read that you’ve recommended or done reviews on, so I am really going to have to speed up on my to-read list 😀
Oh no! Sorry! On the other hand, it’s lovely to have books to look forward to, especially in the summer! Share what you think about them when you do read them. It’s a great way to connect with other readers–who are potential readers of your books! And I’d love to read and see what you think!