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Two Dukes of Wyndham #1

The Lost Duke of Wyndham - Duke of Wyndham yang Hilang

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Jack Audley adalah perampok. Sepanjang hidupnya Jack adalah berandal pendobrak aturan. Jack sangat mencintai gaya hidupnya itu. Sayangnya ketika ia dikenali sebagai keturunan Wyndham yang telah lama hilang, kehidupannya yang bebas pun terancam berakhir. Bila Jack terbukti sebagai keturunan sah keluarga itu, ia harus menyandang gelar yang tidak pernah diinginkannya: Duke of Wyndham.

Grace Eversleigh menghabiskan lima tahun terakhir sebagai pendamping Dowager Duchess of Wyndham. Pekerjaan melelahkan yang Grace pikir akan mengisi masa depannya. Sampai Jack Audley datang dalam kehidupannya, dengan senyum menggoda dan pesona penuh kepercayaan diri. Jack mengajari Grace untuk kembali tertawa. Dan akhirnya tak ada yang lebih Grace inginkan untuk masa depannya selain membangun kehidupan bersama Jack. Tapi bila pria itu memang Duke of Wyndham yang sebenarnya, Jack Audley akan menjadi pria yang tidak akan pernah bisa Grace miliki...

416 pages, Paperback

First published May 27, 2008

949 people are currently reading
11284 people want to read

About the author

Julia Quinn

183 books45.6k followers
#1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn loves to dispel the myth that smart women don't read (or write) romance, and and if you watch reruns of the game show The Weakest Link you might just catch her winning the $79,000 jackpot. She displayed a decided lack of knowledge about baseball, country music, and plush toys, but she is proud to say that she aced all things British and literary, answered all of her history and geography questions correctly, and knew that there was a Da Vinci long before there was a code.

A graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, Ms. Quinn is one of only sixteen members of Romance Writers of America’s Hall of Fame. Her books have been translated into 32 languages, and she lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.

The Bridgertons, her popular series of historical romance, is currently in production by Shondaland as a Netflix original series starring Julie Andrews, Phoebe Dynevor, and Rége-Jean Page.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,400 reviews
Profile Image for Anne.
4,672 reviews70.9k followers
October 25, 2023
3.5 stars

How does one lose a Duke?

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Well, apparently if his father dies without letting his family know he married a girl, and the girl's family had no idea that he was anything special before the girl died in childbirth, said child then becomes the lost heir of a dukedom.

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And how does one find a Duke?

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Well, apparently, if you're a highway robber who knocks over the wrong coach, your douchebag grandma might recognize that you look exactly like her dead son and force your ass back home.
Admittedly, this is a stretch.
Welcome to the wild world of romance novels!

description

That's just the start of this sucker. And to be very honest, I wasn't sure who was going to be the Duke of...whatever until the very end of the book. A surprise? Yes. And that doesn't usually happen to me when I'm reading a fluff romance.

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I know, right?
This one was one of the cuter Julia Quinn novels I've read lately. And maybe that's because I'm burned out on Bridgertons for the time being. But maybe it's because this was kind of adorable.
Plus, I'm looking forward to reading the flip side of this story from his cousin. I was completely dying to find out about his and his fiance's side of the story the entire time I was reading about the hero and heroine of this book.
Well done on making me curious, Ms. Quinn.


Kate Reading - Narrator <--she's good stuff!
Profile Image for Merry.
846 reviews272 followers
May 8, 2024
This was a nice book that had an insta love theme. I should have loved this book. Smart aleck hero, spunky heroine and overbearing duchess. I found all of it just ok. Suspension of disbelief was required that Jack found just the right coach in all of England to hold up and the story was off and running with so many happy coincidences. Even a beautiful companion who falls in love with Jack 2 days after they meet. Again, nice but nothing that hasn't been done before. The end has a nice twist but there were some page skipping done by this reader.
Profile Image for Lacey (laceybooklovers).
2,141 reviews12k followers
February 21, 2021
I am so surprised by how much I loved this one because no one really talks about this duet from Julia Quinn! It’s definitely one of her underrated ones. I adored Jack, our charming highwayman turned long lost duke. He falls for his supposed grandmother’s companion and tries to woo her like crazy. There’s so much good, juicy drama and the romance was swoony and full of banter. It was so good! 4.5-5 stars.
Profile Image for Beth F.
449 reviews391 followers
February 8, 2009
I had a one night stand with this book. Or more fitting, I had a 24-hour stand with this book. I started it on Friday evening and finished it on Saturday afternoon. And in between reading it, I reorganized my closet and my dresser, cleaned the bathroom, opened some windows to get some fresh air circulating (it was over 40 on Saturday—a virtual heat wave!) and put together a bag of old clothes to donate. I almost never finish books that fast, especially when I'm multi-tasking.

So all in all, this book most assuredly fit the bill for a fast read. It was very lighthearted, Julia Quinn writes dialogue quite well and the hero’s name is Jack, which is a name I am partial to because I married a Jack. The plot was also driven by an identity crisis and when it comes to romance novels, the dual identity or mistaken identity storyline gets me every time.

Jack Audley is a highwayman who makes the ill-fated decision one night to stop a coach carrying the dowager Duchess of Wyndham and her companion, Grace Eversleigh. Once the women have exited the carriage, her grace comes to the startling conclusion that Jack Audley is the spitting image of her dead son (even though he’s wearing a mask) and that she is most likely his grandmother.

Audley steals the dowager duchesses ring (a feminine version of his own ring) and steals a kiss from Miss Eversleigh, but then panics at the announcement the dowager has just made and disappears into the night.

So is he the true Duke of Wyndham or isn’t he? That is the plot and there is very little else to say because I don't want to spoil the ending (even though it isn't exactly unique).

This book is worth the read because the dialogue between the characters is enjoyable, Jack Audley is humorous and the dowager duchess is a nasty old biddy, which is also quite amusing. This was also the first book I’d read by this author but I wouldn’t be opposed to seeking out another.
Profile Image for Suzan.
611 reviews
October 28, 2022
Çok güzeldi böyle haydut bizlerede denk gelse olmuyor mu 😻
Profile Image for vale pao.
644 reviews355 followers
June 16, 2010
Well, definitely not what I expected. I really wanted to like this book because I'm a huge fan of this author. Seriously, I never thought it would be possible to find a book of hers which wasn't amazing. So, JQ, WTF?? I don't get it, seriously, what were you thinking?

The beginning was boring as hell. It took me a week to get past through the first 5 chapters. But what was worst, is the fact that the topic was so surreal that I just wanted to burn the book up, I mean, a highwayman who magically becomes a duke, seriously? So lame! I didn't care for the plot, not even a bit. And also there were too many dialogs and not many information and descriptions. Normally, this would not be a problem, but in here it was because the dialogs were a bit annoying and not entertaining at all...

The two main characters were ok, I ended up quite liking them at the end. Jack had quite an interesting and dashing personality and I learn to grow fond of the heroine. But nothing too good to recommend, just bearable. And when it comes to the rest of the characters, well... that was the worst part of the book. There were not many other characters, just the poor guy who ended up not being the duke, his fiancée who ended up alone and a very annoying old lady who I couldn't stand. Why would someone even create a character like hers?

It did have a nice ending, that's why I'm giving a 2.5 rating. But I really can't understand why so many gave such high ratings to this book. IMHO it lacks everything which makes JQ novels so entertaining. I definitely not recommend this book. I even wish someone had told me all this before so I would't have bought both books in the series.And excuses like "maybe I wasn't in the mood for this genre" don't apply as I read another book from this author at the same time.

I will be reading Thomas' book soon, but just because I have this annoying obsession that won't let me start a series without finishing it.
Profile Image for Sharon.
507 reviews313 followers
September 26, 2017
Augusta is no Lady Danbury, that’s for sure. Lady Danbury is an absolute queen, but this old woman is mean and can be quite unlikable.

However, I love what Julia Quinn did with her character. I might not like her because of her crankiness and mistreatment of Grace, but I can understand why she is the way she is after hearing about all the losses she has suffered. There is one scene in particular between her and Grace where I almost want to tear up because it is confirmed that she’s not entirely bad. I can sympathize with her. She’s still an asshole though, but not the worst. Her characterization is on point.

Grace and Jack are cute. I would have liked more developments, but they’re all right.

At times, this book felt so slow with all the discussion of “Is he the duke? Is he not?” This mystery is interesting but not THAT interesting. I think that often times, their ruminating is going in circles, or simply not going anywhere at all. Thus, the book pacing feels even slower because there is not too much of a development here either. It would have been nice to get something more to the plot than this. In addition, perhaps there is a

Overall, it is a very OK read, but I think it lacks some of the sparks Julia Quinn’s other books had. 2.5 stars (maybe 3)

Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Is there a happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scene?
What age level would be appropriate?
Profile Image for Pat Marín.
Author 5 books398 followers
January 14, 2022
¡Qué divertido ha sido! Me lo he pasado genial con Jack y Grace 😍. Uno de los libros que más me ha hecho reír de Julia Quinn. Sin duda, el personaje masculino más distinto: un bandolero encantador y bromista. Una novela llena de enredos, situaciones cómicas y un final que me ha emocionado muchísimo. He pasado de la risa al llanto en un momento. Deseando saber qué pasa con el otro duque ☺️.
Profile Image for Anabel.
784 reviews132 followers
February 14, 2022
La autora tiene una forma de narrar muy sencilla, adictiva y poco explicativa, lo que hace que, en mi caso, me beba cada una de sus novelas. En esta ocasión estamos ante dos protagonistas que ninguno pertenece a la realeza, Grace es una dama de compañía de una duquesa viuda, cascarrabias y de mal carácter, y él es un bandolera algo canalla. Lo que más me ha gustado de esta novela, me ha sorprendido el cambio, pensaba que estaríamos ante otro libro de la aristocracia, y es así, pero de una forma diferente. Pese a ello ha habido cosas que me han faltado, y no estoy hablando en temas de narrativa, sino en tema de trama, ya que a mí parecer todo se sucedía rápido. Si bien puedo decir que he disfrutado y me ha entretenido, porque la autora sabe cómo meterte de lleno en sus personajes, en la historia, y sabe mantener el interés de una forma muy sencilla.
Profile Image for Estíbaliz Montero Iniesta.
Author 60 books1,390 followers
February 9, 2022
Este libro me ha dejado con el regusto agridulce de ser uno de los más flojos de la autora que he leído hasta la fecha. Y el motivo principal han sido los personajes. En todo momento he tenido la sensación de que a la pareja le faltaba química y que también faltaba algo de la chispa habitual de Julia Quinn, sobre todo en los diálogos.

Una cosa que sí aprecio es que los personajes son algo diferentes a lo habitual. Se conocen cuando él, Jack, asalta el carruaje en el que Grace viaja con la anciana duquesa viuda para la que trabaja de dama de compañía. Así que tenemos a una sirviente, porque aunque sea de alto copete y tenga una vida bastante cómoda si la comparamos con otras criadas, no deja de ser una asalariada. Así que un ladrón que podría ser un duque (o no) y una dama de compañía. El enfoque me parecía interesante, pero lo cierto es que no he llegado a conectar demasiado con los personajes. Se supone que Jack es encantador y gracioso, pero a mí me ha parecido un poco fantasma. Y Grace, bueno, la compadezco por tener que trabajar para semejante bruja inhumana, pero poco más me ha hecho sentir.

Respecto a todo el tema de la crisis de identidad alrededor de quién es el duque, es bastante interesante, porque no solo afecta a Jack, si no también a su relación con Grace (si es el duque, no podría estar con una dama de compañía), pero también a Thomas, que es quien actualmente ostenta el título y a su prometida, que ahora no sabe si será la futura duquesa o no. La verdad es que me habría gustado ver la perspectiva de estos dos últimos en este libro también en vez de tener que esperar al segundo. La verdad es que creo que eso habría hecho la historia más redonda.

Como siempre, se lee rápido gracias a la pluma ligera y dinámica de la autora, aunque en esta ocasión no me ha enganchado tanto ni me invitaba a pasarme todo el rato leyendo, como es el caso con otros libros suyos. Aunque siento mucha curiosidad por el segundo y por los personajes en los que se centrará, Thomas y Amelia.
Profile Image for Pamela(AllHoney).
2,624 reviews379 followers
November 22, 2015
The first book in Julia Quinn's Two Dukes of Wyndham. I really enjoyed this one. One of my faves by Julia Quinn. It was neat having the internet available to search and view the paintings mentioned. Made me feel more into the conversation that they had. I absolutely LOVED the scene where Amelia and Grace were "cursing" while the Duchess slept. Anyway, I thought it was delightful and witty.
Profile Image for jenjn79.
723 reviews264 followers
February 17, 2009
I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book because though I've really enjoyed the other JQ books I've read, and she's a very popular historical romance author, I'd read a lot of mixed reviews of this series. So I ended up putting off reading this one for a while because I wasn't sure I'd like it. But I actually enjoyed the book a lot. I can't say I loved it, but it was rather good and I'm looking forward to reading the Thomas's reciprocal story.

The Lost Duke of Wyndham is about just that - a lost duke. Jack Audley was raised by his aunt and uncle after his parents were killed when their boat sank. After time in the army, he ended up a highwayman. Then one night he robs the coach of the dowager Duchess of Wyndham and her companion Grace Eversleigh. The dowager instantly sees that Jack is a lot like her middle son and immediately sets about finding out who he is. It turns out, she's right. Her son had gotten married and died before any of the Wyndham's could find out. Which means that Jack is the rightful heir to the Dukedom - not his cousin Thomas, who has been the Duke for years. Only, Jack wants no part of being a Duke. He wants Grace. From the first moment he wanted her, and though she knows it's wrong, she wants him. If Jack is the Duke, though, she knows she can't have him. A duke must marry someone his equal, not a lowly companion. But Jack will do anything to have Grace, to marry her. Anything.

One of the best parts of this book was the character of Jack. He was rather amusing with his witty comments and overall joviality. A lot of heroes in romance books tend to be dark and broody (which, nothing wrong with that! I love a good broody hero) so it's nice to read something different once in a while. And Jack was fun to read. Grace was a good character as well. She'd been deal a pretty lousy lot but was making the best of it. And she had some spunk to. She made a good match for Jack.

The romance between them builds fairly gradually through the book. There's a lot of chemistry and a few "almost" scenes, but it's not until near the end that they consummate the relationship. And that scene is really the only love scene. I wouldn't have minded a little more in that area. Not that the book needed a ton of sex, but there was all this build-up, then only one scene. It was a tad disappointing.

The storyline wasn't the most original, but Quinn tells it well. And the fact that she wrote a second book, told during the same time period but from Thomas's perspective is rather interesting and unique. I look forward to seeing how it works out once I read that one.

There's really not a lot of action in this book, or people just DOING stuff. It's mostly centered around Jack and whether or not he's the true duke and everyone's thoughts and feelings about it. So there is a little bit of monotony to it, but not so much I got bored. Just a vague feeling that I wanted SOMETHING to happen instead of the constant is he or isn't he the duke.

But overall, I enjoyed the book. It's more light-hearted than many historical romances I've read, and has a good dose of humor (as is normal with Quinn books). The characters (Thomas) intrigue me enough that I plan to read the 2nd book very soon. I'm curious to see how this dual telling of the story works out. I know many didn't care for the second book, but I'm going to give it a fair shot.
Profile Image for Laura.
Author 15 books609 followers
January 21, 2015
This was a boring book. I read the second book in this series first and Mr. Cavendish, I Presume was much more interesting and enjoyable.

Here we have Grace, a companion to the dowager duchess, the poor 2 dukes' grandmother. Jack, a highwayman, holds up Grace and the dowagers coach, but the dowager recognizes Jack as being a Cavendish.She then kidnaps him and forces him to stay to prove that he is the actual duke, being that his late father was the elder brother to Thomas' father.

The only thing I didn't like about the second book was the ending. While Julia Quinn made her characters happy in the end, none of it seemed fitting to either of the men's personalities.

Thomas was raised to be the Duke of Wyndham. He did an excellent job, his people were happy and thriving. He is blind-sided with the news that he has a cousin who is actually duke.

Jack doesn't want to be duke. And yet it's being crammed down his throat. He falls for Grace, but she is now "beneath" him.

In the end, both "dukes" are supposedly happy, and yet, it doesn't seem to do these men justice.

I read a review that said these 2 books The Lost Duke of Wyndham and Mr. Cavendish, I Presume should have been one book. I agree. It would have saved the readers all of the annoying repetition and re-hashing and exact same conversations.
I thought this book merely "okay" while the second book I liked very much...all except the ending of course.

So I would just read the second book and be done with it. However, if you're a huge Julia Quinn fan and want to read both, read them in order, you'll like Jack better.
Profile Image for Geo Just Reading My Books.
1,456 reviews333 followers
October 14, 2018
Oare cum e să descoperi ca peste noapte, din hot la drumul mare devii duce??? O carte care te emoționează, plină de dramatism, destine schimbate și emoții copleșitoare. Jack și Grace sunt adorabili, Onești și curajoși. O carte foarte frumoasa.
Profile Image for Christa.
2,218 reviews589 followers
June 25, 2008
This is another good one from Julia Quinn. Grace Eversleigh was orphaned at seventeen and rescued from her cousin's clutches by the dowager Duchess of Wyndham, who hired her as a companion. Grace has faithfully served the demanding, selfish dowager duchess for five years when they are accosted by a highwayman one night. Jack Audley, former solder turned highwayman, finds his life becoming complicated after he detains the coach of the dowager Duchess of Wyndham. The dowager duchess is convinced that Jack is her grandson, and that he is the rightful Duke of Wyndham. Finding out he is a duke is the last thing that Jack wants. Jack and Grace are drawn to each other immediately, but Grace doesn't believe they can have a future together if Jack is proven to be a duke. Thomas Cavendish, current Duke of Wyndham, and his fiance, Amelia Willoughby, are also important characters in this novel. Their story will be told in the sequel to this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest Julia Quinn book. I thought it was better than her last one. I had a difficult time deciding whether to rate it as a 4 or a 5. I found both the hero and heroine to be very sympathetic characters, and I enjoyed the way they both recognized something special in one another right away. I did find it strange that the heroine accepted the hero as a highwayman apparently without a qualm, and without asking for an explanation of his chosen vocation. I became interested in the characters of Thomas and Amelia and look forward to the sequel.
Profile Image for Melisa.
330 reviews538 followers
March 12, 2016
First of all, forgive me beautiful people in the photo, but I am so not a fan of this cover art - it absolutely does not do this book justice! I think we all judge a book by its cover every now and again, and if I had in this situation, I never would have read this lovely love story.

This is my first foray into this genre and I was really impressed with this book. I loved the character of Jack, I'm pretty sure he is the most charming man who ever lived, the kind of guy every girl would swoon over.

I will definitely be reading more from this author.
Profile Image for Izzie (semi-hiatus) McFussy.
673 reviews52 followers
September 1, 2022
I so needed to read Julia Quinn to lift me out of the reading doldrums. I didn’t care for the instalove, or the just-barely-there-plot, and the middle sagged like a well-used mattress, but her characters were fun and Quinn’s sly humor a delight. She makes storytelling look easy, which is quite a talent.
Profile Image for Océano de libros.
842 reviews93 followers
September 28, 2016
Grace Eversleigh trabaja como dama de compañía para la irritable viuda de Wyndham, Augusta, una mujer con la que no es fácil tratar. Su trabajo no es sencillo y menos cuando participa junto a Augusta en el secuestro del ex oficial del Ejército y ahora salteador de caminos Jack Audley, del que dice ser abuela. De manera que el título de Duque de Wyndham estaría pendiendo de un hilo y podría pasar de Thomas Cavendish, un hombre que vive por y para ello a Jack, alguien que no lo estima. Por si fuera poco Grace siente algo por ese audaz ladrón que podría llegar a duque.
Me había leído el segundo libro que trataba con los personajes de Thomas y Amelia (yo como siempre a contracorriente jeje) y me quedé bastante intrigada o medio enamorada por el personaje de Jack, más que nada por su labia e irreverencia. Y es que Jack es ese personaje que enamora por eso por ser de lo más elocuente, por decir todo de una manera irónica pero también por tener su parte más firme, de no pasar ni una.
Grace es una bendita mujer que no sé cómo puede aguantar al bicho de Augusta, su personaje me ha parecido muy bien caracterizado, una mujer con mucho aplomo.
Esta historia medio se solapa con la segunda de Thomas y Amelia por lo tanto hay escenas en común pero aún así me siguió sorprendiendo, sí, tendría que haberlo leído primero pero me supongo que me hubiese pasado con el segundo.
En este caso tenemos a un personaje masculino que hará las delicias del personal porque es todo lo más irreverente que nos podamos encontrar y nadie mejor que Julia Quinn para regalarnos diálogos de lo más divertidos, y también muy sensuales. Me lo he pasado genial, una lectura muy entretenida y divertida a más no poder porque ese Jack tiene su gracia y desparpajo, pero si eso nos parecía poco, la parte final nos rematará por completo. Entre cierta declaración y el descubrimiento de un secretillo de Jack nos enamorará absolutamente, hará las delicias de las más románticas, jejeje.
En definitiva, esta novela es una de las más divertidas de Julia Quinn que he leído por el momento y el personaje de Jack es uno de los que se recuerda porque es todo lo que toda romántica que se precie pueda imaginar: irreverente, divertido, sensual, romántico, cariñoso, protector…mejor me callo ya XD
Profile Image for Jacob Proffitt.
3,267 reviews2,108 followers
March 27, 2017
I really enjoyed this at the time I was listening to it. There's good banter and fun characters and lots of juicy drama (of the normal kind). But I let this review go for just two days and already I'm having trouble remembering why I actually liked it so much. It's not that it was forgettable, though it is that, so much as that the things that stick out in memory were the most unlikely and objectionable parts. Since these are almost all bound up in Jack, I have to wonder what I found to like in the guy.

I suspect that my engagement had a lot to do with Quinn's typically excellent hand with banter and snappy dialogue. I vaguely remember enjoying the back and forth and how well Grace lived up to her name. Frankly, I liked her a lot and loved how well she worked at being satisfied with a genuinely crappy hand dealt her by fate. Jack, however, not so much. I mean, highwayman is dashing and romantic and all, but that's only if you don't consider the victims as human beings with actual feelings and needs. And that's before you get to the other drama of Jack's life and the surprise pulled out about two-thirds in when we learn he's been all his life. Which is a severity/form of that problem I've never heard of, frankly.

So while the story was enjoyable and I looked forward to rejoining it every chance I got (and even stayed up late a night or two, reluctant to put it down), I can't give this more than three stars without a wince. So three it is, though I'm willing to give the next book in the series a shot.

A note about Steamy: There are explicit sex scenes in the book. I forget how many, but I can't think it was more than a couple and the middle of my steam tolerance.
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
47 reviews4 followers
July 19, 2009
Julia Quinn's books are fun but although they are obviously not meant to be serious, they would benefit from some research. Her books are currently littered with irritating inconsistencies, anachronisms and mistakes. Her characters are supposed to be English "people of quality" but speak unmistakably American English. The heroine will ask the hero whether his curricle is "out back". She will look "out the window", not "out OF the window". She will "fix" breakfast instead of make it - English people don't "fix" anything that isn't broken. She makes up words that simply don't exist - "sym-pitying" glances, for goodness sake. She has her supposedly upper class heroine tell her little brother to say "Pardon?" instead of "What?" - a hideously embarrassing stricture that would instantly betray the speaker's lower middle class origins and didn't originate until the mid 20th century.

All the above said, I do really enjoy these books, and I realise they are only meant to be a bit of fun, but I just wish Julia Quinn would have her proofs corrected and made consistent, because each one makes me grit my teeth, roll my eyes and sigh with annoyance - just like her characters!
Profile Image for Miranda Davis.
Author 5 books277 followers
July 31, 2013
Geez, well, unlike other grudging, grumbly readers, I loved this. And I don't think it demonstrates that JQ has lost her mojo but rediscovered it. I will admit I really enjoyed half the Bridgerton stories tremendously, the other half not so much. (Favorites: Viscount Who Loved Me, Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, if that helps place me in the spectrum of her fan base.) Here, I found Jack utterly delicious, his humor sly, his commentary wickedly accurate. Grace, the heroine, was a capable, intelligent, considerate person, somewhat oppressed emotionally by her position in a duke's household but aware of her good fortune to be there nevertheless. She's smart, not missish or fainting or bitchy. I liked them both and how JQ depicts the gravitational pull each feels toward the other. Scintillating!

Best of all, the story sucked me right in from the unexpected opening scene onward. The romance developed over time, not in an instant, and I loved how he coaxed the laughter from her, unbidden, time after time. I also appreciated the resolution of the main question. IMO, it's a great, accomplished tale from one of the best lighthearted-story storytellers in the genre.
Profile Image for Preeti.
785 reviews
July 12, 2022
Finally, a book that made me believe in Julia Quinn's writing. Before this, I tried 3 books, all from the 'Brighton series'. I hated 'Duke and I' and the other two were just another average HR reads for me. But, this one here had funny narration and swoony romance. It also helped that I listened to it in Rosalyn Lander's voice.

After reading about so many rakes, 'Jack' (H) is a breeze of fresh air. He is witty, charming and so devoted to Grace. He fell for Grace(h) from their first encounter. I loved his sense of humour. Grace(h) is smart and sensible but not overly sweet. I enjoyed that even though the romance has an insta feel, it's developed slowly.

Most of the wittiness is bought by Jack's sarcasm but I couldn't say I didn't like everyone's snappy response to Lady Danbury. Her character is pretty unlikeable but still everyone's mutual hatred toward her works as a social adhesive. Plus, I enjoyed the way other characters behave around her. She brings the worst in everyone.🤭🤭

I am looking forward to reading the next book because Julia Quinn has left many loose ends to make it an intriguing read.
Profile Image for Holly in Bookland.
1,328 reviews616 followers
February 18, 2016
I wish I could give some books more than 5 stars. High up on that list we be quite a few books by Kate Morton, Jane Austen, Susanna Kearsley, and Julia Quinn. These are my all-time favorite authors and they never seem to disappoint me. This book is no exception. It was exactly what I needed while I've not been feeling well. It made me smile, laugh, and just generally made me happy. I can't tell you how many times I've said that JQ writes some of the best characters! Jack Audley is one of them. I told my husband that he should be worried because I was in love with another man. (Apparently, he isn't since said man is a fictional one. Oh, if only...) Seriously, though, I really loved Jack:) His sense of humor was spot on! I loved everything about this book. (Sometimes I say I love a book and, although, that's true, there are some that I loooooove!!!!) Once again, the characters were great, the story was perfect(my opinion), the writing was pure JQ. Loved, loved, loved!!!!

I should stop getting Julia Quinn's books from the library and just buy all her books. I know I'll buy this one!
Profile Image for Ron.
Author 13 books79 followers
May 29, 2008
Solid romantic drama about a ducal family whose situation is upended by a highwayman who turns out to be the true heir to the title. Not quite as screwball as Michele Jaffe or Eloisa James's romantic comedy elements, but the banter is entertaining and there's a refreshing abandonment of pretense in the way the main characters comport themselves. (And Colbert fans will note the "truthiness" scene with an extra touch of delight.) Made a cross-country flight that much more entertaining.
Profile Image for Patricia G..
349 reviews19 followers
December 9, 2019
Me ha gustado mucho y solo con ese epílogo ya se merece las tres estrellas. Pero está claro que he leído cosas muchísimo mejores de la señorita Quinn y me he quedado con ganas de más. Es una novela un poco simple pero para pasar el domingo está bien. Julia Quinn no escribe nunca mal pero a veces se supera, pero este no es el caso.
Profile Image for Bibliotecaria recomienda.
371 reviews95 followers
February 6, 2022
¡Hola a todos!

Este enero volvía Julia Quinn de la mano de Titania con la reedición de la bilogía Wyndham con nuevas y coloridas portadas. Y es que Titania sigue apostando por esta autora reeditando sus obras. En febrero verá la luz la reedición de otra de las series de la autora, la serie Blydon, de la que tendremos Esplendida pasión (8 de febrero) y Un baile a medianoche (22 de febrero).

Esta bilogía esta formada por dos títulos: El duque de Wyndham y La prometida del duque.

La historia comienza cuando una noche volviendo de un baile, la duquesa viuda de Wyndham y Grace, su dama de compañía, son asaltadas en el camino por unos bandoleros. La duquesa queda muy impresionada por el parecido de los rasgos (los pocos que puede ver ya que el hombre lleva un pañuelo que le tapa la cara) y la voz del bandolero con su difunto hijo. Convencida de que ese bandolero tiene que ser su nieto, hijo de su difunto hijo, decide buscarlo y ya que estamos secuestrarlo para que ocupe el lugar que le corresponde en el seno de la familia. Así es como llegará Jack Audley a la mansión Wyndham. Ese nuevo primo pondrá en duda el título que ahora ostenta su Thomas Cavendish, el actual duque de Wyndham.

«No podía dejar de pensar en el bandolero. Y en su beso. Y en su identidad. Y en su beso. Y en si volvería a verlo alguna vez. Y que la había besado. Y...
Y tenía que dejar de pensar en él. Era una locura.»


Jack Audley al dejar el ejercito se convierte en salteador de caminos, así es como conocerá a Grace y a la duquesa, una mujer que le dice que él es su nieto, hijo de su difunto hijo. Jack se siente muy culpable por la muerte de su primo en el ejercito, con el que se crió como si fuesen hermanos, por lo que lleva años sin volver a casa. Utiliza su labia, ingenio y carisma para quitar hierro a los problemas y salir airoso de las situaciones más comprometidas. Disfraza su inseguridad de coqueteo, sentido del humor e indolencia.

«Pero no, eso era imposible. Acababa de conocerla y, aparte de eso, él «no» amaba. Enmienda: no se entregaba a la sobreabundante lujuria con el corazón retumbante y la mente obnubilada que muchas veces se confunde con amor.»


Grace Eversleigh trabaja como dama de compañía de la duquesa viuda de Wyndham, proviene de una buena familia, pero a la muerte de sus padres quedó a merced de un primo que intentará aprovecharse de su situación. La anciana no es la persona más agradable de mundo pues es exigente, grosera y caprichosa, por lo que el trabajo de Grace se hace muy cuesta arriba en ocasiones. Pero Grace está muy agradecida con ella, pues la duquesa la salvó de una situación muy desagradable y le dio un medio de ganarse a vida, por que la muchacha le tiene cierto cariño a pesar de trato abusivo que sufre a veces.

Grace es una muchacha que tiene una actitud optimista y positiva ante la vida. A pesar de su posición en la casa, le tiene mucho cariño a la familia. Solamente desea tener una vida tranquila junto a alguien que la ame y con el que formar su propia familia.

«Si el nacimiento del señor Audley fue legítimo, él era el duque de Wyndham y ella una solterona insensata por soñar con su cara.»


Nos encontramos ante un flechazo en toda regla, desde el primer momento ambos se sienten atraídos uno por el otro. Pero la duda de la identidad de Jack marca la relación, pues si realmente es el duque de Wyndham una relación entre ellos es imposible.

«Encontraba imposible que sólo la conociera desde hacía un día. Ella era su gracia, su Grace, y era como si siempre hubiera estado dentro de él, esperando que por fin él abriera los ojos y la encontrara.
Ahuecó las manos en su cara; era un tesoro incalculable y sin embargo no lograba obligarse a tocarla con la reverencia que se merecía; tenía las manos torpes, el cuerpo agitado y vibrante. Sus ojos, tan claros, tan azules, podría ahogarse en ellos. Deseaba ahogarse en ellos, sumergirse en ella y no salir jamás.»


Como bien dice el título de la serie nos encontramos a dos duques Wyndham, Jack y Thomas. Thomas es el actual duque y primo de Jack si se demuestra que es quién la duquesa supone y que su nacimiento es legítimo, en ese caso Thomas perderá el título en favor de Jack, al ser Thomas hijo del hijo menor de la duquesa. Esto significará para Thomas replantearse su identidad algo que iremos viendo a lo largo de la historia, aunque de una manera un tanto superficial ya que la historia de Thomas la autora nos la contará en profundidad en el siguiente libro de la bilogía.

«Se refería a Thomas, lógicamente. Pero también era cierto el equivalente; si Thomas no era Wyndham, lo era el señor Audley.»


Jack es un tipo sencillo, con buena educación pero que ha optado por caminos poco convencionales para ganarse la vida, no desea el título ni las responsabilidades que conlleva, así que la trama de la historia se centrará en averiguar quién de los dos es el verdadero duque, para saber qué será de su vida en el futuro al tiempo que el amor va surgiendo entre los protagonistas, lo que, en mi opinión, hace que la historia sea un poco plana y casi sin ninguna sorpresa o sobresalto.

Otra perjudicada en todo este embrollo es lady Amelia, prometida al duque desde la niñez ve como su futuro queda en el aire hasta que se resuelva todo este lío. La pobre está prometida la duque pero, ¿cuál de los dos hombres será el duque realmente?

Casi toda la trama ocurre en el castillo del duque, hasta que en un cierto momento viajen a irlanda para hacer las averiguaciones del nacimiento de Jack.

En mi opinión, estamos ante un libro ligeramente distinto a otros libros que he leído anteriormente de la autora y aunque me ha gustado, también me ha parecido que la trama es algo más plana (quizá porque todo pasa en el castillo y hay pocos elementos que puedan sorprendernos) y menos divertida que otros de sus libros.

En La prometida del duque, el segundo libro de esta bilogía, podremos conocer la historia de Thomas Cavendish, en este libro el duque de Wyndham y su prometida lady Amelia.


Reseña en: https://bibliotecariarecomienda.blogs...
Profile Image for Natasha Books.
1,560 reviews96 followers
February 11, 2023
Me encantó de principio a fin y, aunque veo que hay cierto patrón de escenas que a la autora le gusta poner en casi todas sus novelas, eso no hizo que disfrutara menos esta historia.
El personaje más odiado es obviamente el de la viuda duquesa. Pensé que la iba a redimir en algún momento, pero no.
Tengo muchas ganas de leer el segundo libro.
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