The Lost Duke of Wyndham

Will the real Duke of Wyndham please stand up?

Jack Audley has been a highwayman. A soldier. And he has always been a rogue. What he is not, and never wanted to be, is a peer of the realm, responsible for an ancient heritage and the livelihood of hundreds. But when he is recognized as the long-lost son of the House of Wyndham, his carefree life is over. And if his birth proves to be legitimate, then he will find himself with the one title he never wanted: Duke of Wyndham.

Grace Eversleigh has spent the last five years toiling as the companion to the dowager Duchess of Wyndham. It is a thankless job, with very little break from the routine... until Jack Audley lands in her life, all rakish smiles and debonair charm. He is not a man who takes no for an answer, and when she is in his arms, she's not a woman who wants to say no. But if he is the true duke, then he is the one man she can never have...

I was starting to lose hope, after the fiascos which were the last two Bridgerton novels (hold your horses, Quinn fans, I love Quinn, too, but the last two were garbage!). Quinn's THE SECRET DIARIES OF MISS MIRANDA CHEEVER gave me much hope for a literary comeback and that hope was not disappointed.

I loved THE LOST DUKE OF WYNDHAM and for the first time in a long time I actually want to keep on reading romance novels. I was definitely not in the mood for anything romance related for a while. When I first read about Quinn's new novel, I was initially reluctant to read it for fear THE SECRET DIARIES was merely a fluke incident. I was afraid THE LOST DUKE would be terrible, perhaps even as bad as IT'S IN HIS KISS (which I nearly ripped to shreds upon completion). However, I gave Quinn another chance and wow...she did not disappoint, not even close.

The hero is as romantic as they come and the heroine is right for him on so many levels. The novel is of the "love at first sight" variety with the hero knowing from the start that he wants the heroine as his for good. Of course, there's the struggle with emotion that is typical of any romance novel, but altogether I was not aggravated or displeased by it. Often times, writers take this too far and leave me exhausted and angry by the time they decide to unite the lovers for good. Not the case here. If you want love that is simple and without the five million ridiculous obstacles thrown in to fill in ten chapters, then THE LOST DUKE is for you.

The heroine's overly compassionate nature irked me at times, but overall I enjoyed the book immensely and look forward to its sequel, to be released October 2008.

Carlyle's Lady Sharpe

Lady Pamela Sharpe is everywhere in Liz Carlyle's most recent trilogy. Former heroine?

Coming Soon

Reviews for:

1. Loretta Chase's YOUR SCANDALOUS WAYS
2. Julia Quinn's THE LOST DUKE OF WYNDHAM
3. Liz Carlyle's NEVER ROMANCE A RAKE.

Started an online journal, in case anyone's interested. See LOST IN WONDERLAND in the Links. Only two short posts so far, but I'm sure they'll increase at an alarming rate. I moved back in with my parents a few months ago, after being on my own since college. I have a feeling blogger won't be able to handle all the posts I'll end up writing. Enjoy!

Mr. Cavendish, I Presume

Oh my goodness. I'm not even halfway done with the first novel of the above series and I'm already thinking about the second. I simply cannot wait 'til October 2008 when the novel is released. Julia Quinn is one of the authors who got me hooked on romance. I'm so glad she's back writing amazing literature. Err....at least, I hope it's good. I was disappointed with the last two books in the Bridgerton series. This series sounds very promising though and the novel above...oh, dear. I can't stand it. I'm so excited. I hope to see it in stores before my trip to Central Europe (More to come about my trip later). I'm leaving September 12 and am praying for a miracle. I need to read this on the plane. I must I must I must! As you can tell, my excitement for romance is back. I was a bit disillusioned and not even remotely inclined to read a romance novel for a while. That and a series of personal tragedies brought my life to a stand still. Now things are slightly back to normal. But enough about me.....

Here's a little sneak peek into MR. CAVENDISH, I PRESUME from Quinn's website:

There went the bride...

Amelia Willoughby has been engaged to the Duke of Wyndham for as long as she can remember. Literally. A mere six months old when the contracts were signed, she has spent the rest of her life waiting. And waiting. And waiting...for Thomas Cavendish, the oh-so-lofty duke, to finally get around to marrying her. But as she watches him from afar, she has a sneaking suspicion that he never thinks about her at all...

It's true. He doesn't. Thomas rather likes having a fiancée—all the better to keep the husband-hunters at bay—and he does intend to marry her...eventually. But just when he begins to realize that his bride might be something more than convenient, Thomas’s world is rocked by the arrival of his long-lost cousin, who may or may not be the true Duke of Wyndham. And if Thomas is not the duke, then he’s not engaged to Amelia. Which is the cruelest joke of all, because this arrogant and illustrious duke has made the mistake of falling in love...with his own fiancée!

Ahhhh....I feel like a little kid. My stomach has butterflies already.

Back to Romance

Finally back to romance....currently reading Julia Quinn's LOST DUKE OF WYNDHAM. I love it so far. I'm also planning a small shopping spree at my favorite used book store this week. Yay! Will post my review of Quinn's book once I'm done.

Has anyone read the latest Carlyle or Chase? I almost bought the books today but ended up putting them away and only getting the Quinn.

More Patience?

I'm trying not to be annoyed with Lorraine Heath, especially since I've always thoroughly enjoyed her novels but THIS angers me in so many ways. I'm livid. So when exactly will the new book in the Rose series be out? Why do I even care? I need to stop reading series books. Unfortunately, authors can't help themselves from writing them. I like the way Jenna Petersen and Julie Anne Long work; new books are constantly coming out. I seriously can't keep up with them. Trust me...this is a good thing.

And yes, I promised I would write more and haven't. I have a good reason...I haven't read any romance novels. I need to finish a Mary Queen of Scots bio and then I'm ready to take a dip once again into the waters of romance (ugh...I'm so cheesy).