What do you think?
Rate this book
Scandalous Whispers of the Remmington Realm, #2
The Servant Duchess Of Whitcomb
Orley Garrick is known throughout Angland not only as the man with two dukedoms but also as the hero who survived a brutal kidnapping at the hands of Nafoleon's army, never once betraying the secrets of His Majesty. Still haunted by his memories, Orley pushes his crippled body to dangerous limits, all in an attempt to run from the demons of his past.
Until he meets Chester Boland, a maid in his friend's household. Orley is besieged by desire for this gorgeous male woman, and by a connection he cannot ignore. But there are those within the Remmington Realm who take issue with the Duke's choice-especially given Chester's Tafrican lineage.
Having stared death in the face and won, Orley proposes they steal away and elope. However, before they can begin their new life, they uncover dangerous secrets that go deeper than they could ever imagine-involving those they trust the most.
Orley and Chester must discover exactly how deep these secrets run before their enemies make sure Chester is removed from Orley's arms... forever.
Until he meets Chester Boland, a maid in his friend's household. Orley is besieged by desire for this gorgeous male woman, and by a connection he cannot ignore. But there are those within the Remmington Realm who take issue with the Duke's choice-especially given Chester's Tafrican lineage.
Having stared death in the face and won, Orley proposes they steal away and elope. However, before they can begin their new life, they uncover dangerous secrets that go deeper than they could ever imagine-involving those they trust the most.
Orley and Chester must discover exactly how deep these secrets run before their enemies make sure Chester is removed from Orley's arms... forever.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 27, 2015
3 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Vicktor Alexander
55 books341 followersVicktor Alexander “Vic” wrote his first story at the age of 10 about his youngest sister and her destruction of the world…with her breath. Much to his youngest sister’s dismay the story was a hit and became the first story of a series all dealing with the planets that were destroyed by his siblings and their strange quirks and body odors. Vic now enjoys writing about shifters, humanoids, cowboys, firemen, rent boys, fairies, elves, dancers, doctors, Doms, Subs, and anything else that catches his fancy, all sexy men falling in love with each other and having lots of naughty, dirty, man-on-man sex. Author of the best-selling series, The Tate Pack, Vic is a huge fan of the “happily-ever-after” ending. But while his characters all ride off into the proverbial sunset, all sexually satisfied and in love, they all bear the scars of fighting for that love, just like in real life. Out and proud, Vic does not believe that love only comes in one form, one race, one gender and that not only is gender fluid, by sexuality as well. Vic loves to make people laugh and when he’s not writing, or rather, procrastinating in writing, he’s reading, playing the Sims 3, hanging out with his very supportive adopted family, talking to his adopted daughter, whom he affectionately calls "Chipmunk", seeking the man or men who can handle his crazy, stressful, soap opera-esque life and being distracted from his writing by drooling over pictures of John Barrowman, Scott Hoying, Charlie David and Shemar Moore.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 4, 2016
For the most part this book is about Chester, a maid, and Orley, a duke, falling in love. There are things that make their relationship unusual (Chester is half Tafrican (this universe’s version of African)) but at its core it is a very tried and true story of love that conquers all. Even the snooty Anglish (English) class system.
There are a lot of reasons I wanted to read this book. Number one is perhaps the seriously unique world that the author has created here. I really enjoyed the idea of gender and sex being two different classifications in this universe. And book one was rather interesting so I was curious as to what would happen in the second book in the series. Plus, I just really love this time period in history.
However the problems that I had in book one only seemed more magnified in this sequel.
I had hoped that perhaps with having read the previous book I would have an easier time with the whole female male thing. Or was it female man…or male woman? I don’t know. That is the problem. Even after reading the author’s note at the beginning of the book I am still incredibly confused as to what exactly denotes what in this whole weird classification thing they have going on. And I know, the books are already written so it is not like it can be changed, but the fact that there doesn’t seem to be a clearer set of pronouns for the four types of gender/sex is just baffling to me. It seems so odd in a book where the world building has to be rethought out, why the author never gave this issue more attention. Language is usually used to clarify ideas and thoughts…and yet here it is just damn confusing. I really like the idea behind all this. I do. But the execution of it was just fumbled.
I could deal with that though. I did it in book one, so I could just push thru in book two. It was confusing, and a little annoying, but it didn’t distract from the book enough that the story didn’t make sense. I could deal.
And in the beginning, it was good. It was pretty damn fun, actually. Sex in wildly inappropriate places, with wildly inappropriate people, all topped off with having a ‘shot gun’ wedding because being found skirt up by your parents and your employers is not the best idea in the world…these are all things I like. In fiction, at least. That last one…yeah. nope.
It was hard to really enjoy it though, because the language used in this book quickly went from cute to downright ridiculous. The prose were so purple I’m surprised everyone in the book didn’t slip into a diabetic coma. These characters started to talk less and less like people and more and more like every Romance Character that gets thrown up as proof why romance books are to be considered as a ‘lesser’ genre. They became cliche and boring and a bit hard to read to be honest (even the whole sex on a horse scene–which felt like something out of a bad porno–or the whole rape thing which felt entirely too glossed over).
Instead of focusing the story on the quite interesting idea of what it would be like for a duke to up and marry a half-Tafrican maid…the story instead basically came down to almost 200 pages of “Why Doesn’t He Say He Loves Me?????” There are moments where it looks like the story might break away from the mould. The whole thing with Chester’s mother was just ripe with possibilities…but even that sorta just folded into the whole child sub-plot.
Speaking of which…I have a bit of a love/hate thing with Mpreg. I like it in theory, but I don’t really care for how the pregnant men tend to be portrayed as constantly weepy and unable to do more than sit around and mope about whether the person they love loves them back. I don’t know if it is the fact that the idea of pregnancy is just horrifying to me, so I can’t empathise, or that I haven’t been around enough pregnant women…but this seems a bit over the top for me.
This book, whether it intended it or not, just reminded me too much of a m/f bodice ripper for me to really enjoy it. While these were once my bread and butter, they really do not do it for me anymore. Chester was just too feminine for me to really identify with. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that feminine aspect, but it just doesn’t connect well with my brain or my emotions anymore.
By the end of the book the most I felt about this story was disappointment. It lived up to very few of my expectations and fell victim to rather too many cliches for it to be anything but.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
There are a lot of reasons I wanted to read this book. Number one is perhaps the seriously unique world that the author has created here. I really enjoyed the idea of gender and sex being two different classifications in this universe. And book one was rather interesting so I was curious as to what would happen in the second book in the series. Plus, I just really love this time period in history.
However the problems that I had in book one only seemed more magnified in this sequel.
I had hoped that perhaps with having read the previous book I would have an easier time with the whole female male thing. Or was it female man…or male woman? I don’t know. That is the problem. Even after reading the author’s note at the beginning of the book I am still incredibly confused as to what exactly denotes what in this whole weird classification thing they have going on. And I know, the books are already written so it is not like it can be changed, but the fact that there doesn’t seem to be a clearer set of pronouns for the four types of gender/sex is just baffling to me. It seems so odd in a book where the world building has to be rethought out, why the author never gave this issue more attention. Language is usually used to clarify ideas and thoughts…and yet here it is just damn confusing. I really like the idea behind all this. I do. But the execution of it was just fumbled.
I could deal with that though. I did it in book one, so I could just push thru in book two. It was confusing, and a little annoying, but it didn’t distract from the book enough that the story didn’t make sense. I could deal.
And in the beginning, it was good. It was pretty damn fun, actually. Sex in wildly inappropriate places, with wildly inappropriate people, all topped off with having a ‘shot gun’ wedding because being found skirt up by your parents and your employers is not the best idea in the world…these are all things I like. In fiction, at least. That last one…yeah. nope.
It was hard to really enjoy it though, because the language used in this book quickly went from cute to downright ridiculous. The prose were so purple I’m surprised everyone in the book didn’t slip into a diabetic coma. These characters started to talk less and less like people and more and more like every Romance Character that gets thrown up as proof why romance books are to be considered as a ‘lesser’ genre. They became cliche and boring and a bit hard to read to be honest (even the whole sex on a horse scene–which felt like something out of a bad porno–or the whole rape thing which felt entirely too glossed over).
Instead of focusing the story on the quite interesting idea of what it would be like for a duke to up and marry a half-Tafrican maid…the story instead basically came down to almost 200 pages of “Why Doesn’t He Say He Loves Me?????” There are moments where it looks like the story might break away from the mould. The whole thing with Chester’s mother was just ripe with possibilities…but even that sorta just folded into the whole child sub-plot.
Speaking of which…I have a bit of a love/hate thing with Mpreg. I like it in theory, but I don’t really care for how the pregnant men tend to be portrayed as constantly weepy and unable to do more than sit around and mope about whether the person they love loves them back. I don’t know if it is the fact that the idea of pregnancy is just horrifying to me, so I can’t empathise, or that I haven’t been around enough pregnant women…but this seems a bit over the top for me.
This book, whether it intended it or not, just reminded me too much of a m/f bodice ripper for me to really enjoy it. While these were once my bread and butter, they really do not do it for me anymore. Chester was just too feminine for me to really identify with. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that feminine aspect, but it just doesn’t connect well with my brain or my emotions anymore.
By the end of the book the most I felt about this story was disappointment. It lived up to very few of my expectations and fell victim to rather too many cliches for it to be anything but.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
February 28, 2016
This second Regency romance with a twist set in the alternate historical reality of 1814 created by Vicktor Alexander, is just as fascinating as the first. ‘Groom of Convenience’ made clear that the high society of this world is just as restricted as the one in “our reality” used to be: women have a defined and limited role to play, they are inferior to men intellectually, and “the middle and lower classes, servants, and people from Tafrica” are even lower than that. The big difference to “our reality” is the way gender and sexuality are determined. In this reality, both men and women can impregnate their partner, both men and women can bear children, intersex people – those with both male and female reproductive organs - are common. Anyone who can sire a child is considered a man, but they can represent as either male or female, depending on their preferences. Anyone who has a womb is considered a woman, but can represent as female or male. This level of genderfluidity may be a little confusing at first, but it makes as much – or as little – sense as the way we determine gender roles and sexuality. Intersex people are more common in this world than in ours, and what we would consider trans people – those presenting a different gender than their biology indicates – are numerous and treated like everyone else.
One of the two main characters in this sequel is one of the four best friends of Duke Heathcliff: a war hero with dark memories of torture and a leg wound that requires him to walk with a cane, a lonely man who doesn’t expect to find a woman to love him, a man with two dukedoms – Orly. While at a weeklong house party organized by Duke Heath and Duchess Lucien, Orly falls for a servant, and one from Tafrica at that - a maid with light brown skin by the name of Chester. Propriety dictates he marry a male or female woman of “appropriate lineage”, but after some consideration and realizing there is more to Chester than he initially thought, Orly makes up his mind. He couldn’t care less about propriety, nor about the fact that the few nobles who have married “below their station” were ostracized. Orly has always been his own man and nobody is going to tell him what he can and cannot do as the Duke of Whitcomb, but the whole idea of him going through with his plan is so contrary to what is acceptable to the ton (the Regency version of high society) that it is bound to ruffle some feathers. But Orly has made his choice and he is determined to marry Chester and make him his duchess.
Chester is a male woman who presents as a woman. So, different from Lucien in the first book who dresses like a man on most occasions, Chester likes wearing dresses. He is far more capable and educated than the average servant of his time, thanks to his parents who run Duke Heath’s estate and have made sure that all their children get the best of everything available to them. But they also have strict rules about their children’s behavior – even though they are not part of the ton - so when Chester gets caught in flagrante delicto with Orly, the potential disgrace, in their and Chester’s eyes, is considerable. And the fact that Orly immediately declares he intends to marry Chester and make him his duchess does not change anyone’s worries. Chester’s parents are quite sure Chester will never be accepted and Chester himself doubts any of the “appropriate” ladies will be his friends. Of course Lucien, his sister Charlotte, and one or two other ladies stand by him; despite that, Chester knows he faces an uphill battle.
What follows is a tale of intrigue, suspicion, suspense, and more than one twist and turn. Remember the ruffled feathers I mentioned above? Well, there are a significant number of those and some people will go further than gossiping or consider ostracizing Orly and Chester. Old enemies come out of the woodwork, new enemies think they can get the upper hand, and dangerous secrets endanger their very lives. But above all, this is the story of Chester growing into his own and becoming the woman Orly needs at his side to be happy.
If you like Regency romances with a genderfluid twist, if you enjoy tales about men and women who defy society’s dictates so they can be together, and if you’re ready to have your idea of gender, sexuality, and social station challenged, then you will probably enjoy this novel as much as I did. It is a very critical look at many of the preconceived notions we have even two hundred years after the time of this novel. Prejudice, both of the racial and the gender/sexuality kind, is still very much alive and this series has a very unique way of exposing that. It is a true series and I recommend you read the first book before this one to get the full background.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
One of the two main characters in this sequel is one of the four best friends of Duke Heathcliff: a war hero with dark memories of torture and a leg wound that requires him to walk with a cane, a lonely man who doesn’t expect to find a woman to love him, a man with two dukedoms – Orly. While at a weeklong house party organized by Duke Heath and Duchess Lucien, Orly falls for a servant, and one from Tafrica at that - a maid with light brown skin by the name of Chester. Propriety dictates he marry a male or female woman of “appropriate lineage”, but after some consideration and realizing there is more to Chester than he initially thought, Orly makes up his mind. He couldn’t care less about propriety, nor about the fact that the few nobles who have married “below their station” were ostracized. Orly has always been his own man and nobody is going to tell him what he can and cannot do as the Duke of Whitcomb, but the whole idea of him going through with his plan is so contrary to what is acceptable to the ton (the Regency version of high society) that it is bound to ruffle some feathers. But Orly has made his choice and he is determined to marry Chester and make him his duchess.
Chester is a male woman who presents as a woman. So, different from Lucien in the first book who dresses like a man on most occasions, Chester likes wearing dresses. He is far more capable and educated than the average servant of his time, thanks to his parents who run Duke Heath’s estate and have made sure that all their children get the best of everything available to them. But they also have strict rules about their children’s behavior – even though they are not part of the ton - so when Chester gets caught in flagrante delicto with Orly, the potential disgrace, in their and Chester’s eyes, is considerable. And the fact that Orly immediately declares he intends to marry Chester and make him his duchess does not change anyone’s worries. Chester’s parents are quite sure Chester will never be accepted and Chester himself doubts any of the “appropriate” ladies will be his friends. Of course Lucien, his sister Charlotte, and one or two other ladies stand by him; despite that, Chester knows he faces an uphill battle.
What follows is a tale of intrigue, suspicion, suspense, and more than one twist and turn. Remember the ruffled feathers I mentioned above? Well, there are a significant number of those and some people will go further than gossiping or consider ostracizing Orly and Chester. Old enemies come out of the woodwork, new enemies think they can get the upper hand, and dangerous secrets endanger their very lives. But above all, this is the story of Chester growing into his own and becoming the woman Orly needs at his side to be happy.
If you like Regency romances with a genderfluid twist, if you enjoy tales about men and women who defy society’s dictates so they can be together, and if you’re ready to have your idea of gender, sexuality, and social station challenged, then you will probably enjoy this novel as much as I did. It is a very critical look at many of the preconceived notions we have even two hundred years after the time of this novel. Prejudice, both of the racial and the gender/sexuality kind, is still very much alive and this series has a very unique way of exposing that. It is a true series and I recommend you read the first book before this one to get the full background.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
November 22, 2015
Let me say this world this author created was amazing! This is a warning that this is a MPEG book I know some are okay with that like me and some not so much! I do have to say the way the they delivered the baby was very different then anything I have read before.
Now I will admit I did not read the first book in this series before this one and I was honestly so lost through some of this book. I would definitely recommend reading the first book in this series before this one.
Orley is a duke who has fought in war and still has the scars both emotional and physically from this. He is visiting a good friend and is woken by the maid Chester which he feels a instant attraction towards. Chester also feels the same attraction towards Orley. They both go through a lot to be together.
Now with this book because I did not read the first book it took me awhile to figure out what was going on in this world. Chester was born a man but since he has female reproductive organs she/he is actually considered a woman just like some of the men in this world are born woman. The sex you were born is the name you are given hence Chester who was born a man but is a woman. I hope I explained that right. This is a very different take on transgender than I have ever read before and can I say I loved how the author wrote these characters even though it did take me awhile to figure everyone out.
Now as much as I loved these two characters and their story I have to admit there were a few parts that did drag for me.. But otherwise this book was filled with this amazing world that was created by this author that had some action, angst and so much steam.
All together I really liked this book!
I would recommend this book!
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads.
Now I will admit I did not read the first book in this series before this one and I was honestly so lost through some of this book. I would definitely recommend reading the first book in this series before this one.
Orley is a duke who has fought in war and still has the scars both emotional and physically from this. He is visiting a good friend and is woken by the maid Chester which he feels a instant attraction towards. Chester also feels the same attraction towards Orley. They both go through a lot to be together.
Now with this book because I did not read the first book it took me awhile to figure out what was going on in this world. Chester was born a man but since he has female reproductive organs she/he is actually considered a woman just like some of the men in this world are born woman. The sex you were born is the name you are given hence Chester who was born a man but is a woman. I hope I explained that right. This is a very different take on transgender than I have ever read before and can I say I loved how the author wrote these characters even though it did take me awhile to figure everyone out.
Now as much as I loved these two characters and their story I have to admit there were a few parts that did drag for me.. But otherwise this book was filled with this amazing world that was created by this author that had some action, angst and so much steam.
All together I really liked this book!
I would recommend this book!
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads.
September 29, 2016
2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: The Servant Duchess Of Whitcomb
1) I had such high hopes for this, and they most certainly were not disappointed. If anything, I think it is a stronger book than the first, with even better character development, and an even deeper exploration of the gender themes/concepts. It works as a gay romance, a transgender romance, and an mpreg romance, all at the same time. I think what put it over the top for me was the exploration of the first book's consequences, especially those concerning the war.
2) This is a fascinating and fantastic book. Vicktor Alexander has created a richly complex alternate world where both men and women can either father or carrry a child.
1) I had such high hopes for this, and they most certainly were not disappointed. If anything, I think it is a stronger book than the first, with even better character development, and an even deeper exploration of the gender themes/concepts. It works as a gay romance, a transgender romance, and an mpreg romance, all at the same time. I think what put it over the top for me was the exploration of the first book's consequences, especially those concerning the war.
2) This is a fascinating and fantastic book. Vicktor Alexander has created a richly complex alternate world where both men and women can either father or carrry a child.
December 9, 2015
Original Blog Post
Review by: multitaskingmomma
My Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
A Vicktor Alexander release always makes me smile, just reading the blurbs make me smile. The Servant Duchess of Whitcomb is the anxiously awaited second installment to the Scandalous Whispers of Remmington Realm. For this particular issue, we have Chester, a mixed Tafrican male woman who catches the eye, and heart, of none other than Orley, the Duke of Whitcomb.
As the title implies, Orley marries Chester, making him his lady Duchess. Unfortunately, no title or money can stop the wagging tongues of the Ton who still look upon Tafricans as beneath contempt and nothing more than animals. Orley finds himself fending abusive talk and actions from his Duchess.
Chester suddenly finds himself a Duchess and knows he is going to encounter insults on his person no matter what he does. He is determined his husband the Duke does not tire of it and also does whatever he can to stay away from those who look down on him.
This is a truly fascinating alternate universe Alexander has created. In a world where history almost parallels our own, men and women can bear children and all, but condemnation, bigotry and intolerance are still a common occurrence. Reading the first book only whetted my appetite for an mpreg story very well done and Alexander has proven once more he is top notch at what he does. Add in that Orley is older than Chester, my heart just about stopped. I love love love this book.
For you who are mpreg fans like I obviously am, this is a book to pick up. Make sure to also take a read at Groom of Convenience (Scandalous Whispers of the Remmington Realm, #1). This is a standalone book, but reading the first will settle some of the questions that may come to mind. They were answered in this first installment.
Review by: multitaskingmomma
My Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
A Vicktor Alexander release always makes me smile, just reading the blurbs make me smile. The Servant Duchess of Whitcomb is the anxiously awaited second installment to the Scandalous Whispers of Remmington Realm. For this particular issue, we have Chester, a mixed Tafrican male woman who catches the eye, and heart, of none other than Orley, the Duke of Whitcomb.
As the title implies, Orley marries Chester, making him his lady Duchess. Unfortunately, no title or money can stop the wagging tongues of the Ton who still look upon Tafricans as beneath contempt and nothing more than animals. Orley finds himself fending abusive talk and actions from his Duchess.
Chester suddenly finds himself a Duchess and knows he is going to encounter insults on his person no matter what he does. He is determined his husband the Duke does not tire of it and also does whatever he can to stay away from those who look down on him.
This is a truly fascinating alternate universe Alexander has created. In a world where history almost parallels our own, men and women can bear children and all, but condemnation, bigotry and intolerance are still a common occurrence. Reading the first book only whetted my appetite for an mpreg story very well done and Alexander has proven once more he is top notch at what he does. Add in that Orley is older than Chester, my heart just about stopped. I love love love this book.
For you who are mpreg fans like I obviously am, this is a book to pick up. Make sure to also take a read at Groom of Convenience (Scandalous Whispers of the Remmington Realm, #1). This is a standalone book, but reading the first will settle some of the questions that may come to mind. They were answered in this first installment.
November 29, 2015
Loved this addition to the Scandalous Whispers series. It has all the elements of Regency novels plus mpreg! Chester is a heroine we can all relate. She has to be strong daily in front of her detractors but instead of stooping to their level, she hands them with grace and gives doses of "shade". Orly is good for Chester and with Chester's help starts to deal with the horrors of war. They have become one of my favorite couples.
July 3, 2016
I had such high hopes for this, and they most certainly were not disappointed. If anything, I think it is a stronger book than the first, with even better character development, and an even deeper exploration of the gender themes/concepts. It works as a gay romance, a transgender romance, and an mpreg romance, all at the same time. I think what put it over the top for me was the exploration of the first book's consequences, especially those concerning the war.
December 16, 2015
This series is awesome! Once you get the genders straight in your head. I love mpreg books, I love alternate universe. The characters are so diverse,interesting and likable/ lovable. Vicktor sucks you in with his writing and the depth in his stories. I'd definitely give it more than 5 stars if. I could! Highly recommended read, but best read in order.
December 6, 2015
I really like this world and enjoyed the book. But....The end seemed to be rushed and a lot happened in a short time. I am still a little confused about a few revelations and not sure why a particular trauma happened when no time was spent on the consequences.
September 8, 2016
This book was just too confusing for me, with contradictory gender references in almost every sentence. I understand that this is important to the story but it was so much that I couldn't get interested in the actual plot. Same comments for books 1 & 2 since I bought them both at the same time.
November 29, 2015
Once again well done romance by the author, although not as consuming to me as the 1st in the series, still well met but perhaps a bit long? But just as the first very intriguing.
November 28, 2015
OMG!!!
I love this series. There were so many twists and turns. I could not put this book down. I impatiently wait for the next one!!!
I love this series. There were so many twists and turns. I could not put this book down. I impatiently wait for the next one!!!
February 3, 2016
You know those Regency romances that you hate to admit that you loved despite wanting to seriously strangle the heroine? Often? And painfully? Because her incessantly weepy and stuck on stupid behavior grated on your second to last nerve? Well, even though this is an edgy and genderfucky take on the traditional Regency, I just couldn't with Chester, the former servant maid now Duchess.
Granted, this is an interracial romance featuring a Black (or in this case "Tafrican") biracial heroine who just happens to be male (trust me it works and is still way better than My Fair Captain), but I just kept waiting for Chester to grow a spine and be proud of having been chosen by Orley to be his wife and mate. It's like I kept saying to him, there's a reason a man with not one, but TWO dukedoms, chose YOU rather than the hundreds of eligible (and Caucasian) young ladies thrown in his direction. So be as strong for him as he was for you.
Thankfully this book does pass the Bechtel Test in the number of female characters who talk of other things besides men, and who help the new and untried Duchess understand her new position in life.
For all my griping, I liked the alternate history of this novel and how it didn't gloss over racism or the ugliness of slavery. And I'm hoping there will be more novels in the works.
Granted, this is an interracial romance featuring a Black (or in this case "Tafrican") biracial heroine who just happens to be male (trust me it works and is still way better than My Fair Captain), but I just kept waiting for Chester to grow a spine and be proud of having been chosen by Orley to be his wife and mate. It's like I kept saying to him, there's a reason a man with not one, but TWO dukedoms, chose YOU rather than the hundreds of eligible (and Caucasian) young ladies thrown in his direction. So be as strong for him as he was for you.
Thankfully this book does pass the Bechtel Test in the number of female characters who talk of other things besides men, and who help the new and untried Duchess understand her new position in life.
For all my griping, I liked the alternate history of this novel and how it didn't gloss over racism or the ugliness of slavery. And I'm hoping there will be more novels in the works.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews