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Misadventures in Matchmaking #1
How to Forget a Duke
The Bourne Matrimonial Agency has one rule: Never fall in love with the client. A simple thing to remember...unless you’re a matchmaker with amnesia.
The Duke of Rydstrom needs a wife. Preferably one with a large fortune and a complete lack of curiosity. The last thing he needs is a meddling matchmaker determined to dig up his dark family secrets.
All Jacinda wants is to find a bride for a duke. How hard could that be? He’s handsome, enigmatic...and hiding something. She’s sure of it. Determined to discover what it is, she travels to his crumbling cliffside estate. Yet, by the time she washes up on his beach, she can no longer remember who she is or why the duke is so familiar to her. All she knows is that his kisses are unforgettable—and she intends to use every skill she can to discover what’s in his heart.
When Miss Bourne can’t remember what brought her to his ancestral home, Rydstrom intends to keep it that way. Yet as the days pass, his true challenge will be safeguarding his secret while resisting this woman who—confound it all—may well be his perfect match.
The Duke of Rydstrom needs a wife. Preferably one with a large fortune and a complete lack of curiosity. The last thing he needs is a meddling matchmaker determined to dig up his dark family secrets.
All Jacinda wants is to find a bride for a duke. How hard could that be? He’s handsome, enigmatic...and hiding something. She’s sure of it. Determined to discover what it is, she travels to his crumbling cliffside estate. Yet, by the time she washes up on his beach, she can no longer remember who she is or why the duke is so familiar to her. All she knows is that his kisses are unforgettable—and she intends to use every skill she can to discover what’s in his heart.
When Miss Bourne can’t remember what brought her to his ancestral home, Rydstrom intends to keep it that way. Yet as the days pass, his true challenge will be safeguarding his secret while resisting this woman who—confound it all—may well be his perfect match.
387 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 29, 2018
305 people are currently reading
2548 people want to read
About the author
Vivienne Lorret
32 books1,286 followersUSA Today bestselling author VIVIENNE LORRET writes fun and steamy Regency historical romances. She lives in the Midwest where she coaxes words out of giant mugs of tea and attempts to jot them down before they can escape. For her entire catalog of books, including the Liars’ Club, her latest series from Avon, please visit www.vivlorret.net
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 277 reviews
September 12, 2021
ANOTHER AMNESIA HISTORICAL ROMANCE I LOVED. Seriously, this was so fun. Jacinda comes from a family of matchmakers and is supposed to find the duke a wife. He needs a rich wife in order to fix up his estate, which is crumbling and literally falling apart. But Jacinda finds herself washing up on shore of the duke's estate with no memory of who she is or where she comes from. The duke has to take her in until she recovers, and the two bicker and fall in love in the process. This book was so precious and I was swooning for the romance the whole time. There was also a side character that I really loved, but I don't want to spoil them, so that's all I'll say. I loved Jacinda's relationship with that character and how Jacinda really did fall for the duke. It was also really fun how quotes from Emma by Jane Austen were at the beginning of each chapter and how important that book was to Jacinda. I'm so happy I picked this up and can't wait to read more from this author!!
May 24, 2018
How to Forget a Duke is the first installment of Vivienne Lorret's new series, Misadventure in Matchmaking. The series focuses around three sisters and their indulgent uncle, who allows the girls to run the Bourne Matrimonial Agency. Just take a gander at that beautiful cover - it totally sucked me right in and had me wanting to read this story.
Our hero of this first installment is Crispin Montague, fifth Duke of Rydstrom. First of all - that is a GREAT name. I just loved it. Unfortunately, Crispin is broke and in need of an heiress whose funds he may use to repair the ducal estate, Whitcrest. Though he is not interested in a love match - he needs an uninterested wife who will not want to live with him at Whitcrest and discover his secrets. I liked Crispin. He was no-nonsense, responsible, and honorable. He was also engaging in some self-condemnation for his guilt over his parent's death and his sisters future prospects. I would have liked to know more about him, though most of the story was focused on the heroine.
So Jacinda Bourne, the horrid heroine - a moniker she earned from the first page and could not shake for the entirety of the story. I loathed her. So. Much. She was a meddlesome bit of baggage. She was nosy to the extreme, and thought she had the right to dip into diaries, pilfer property, and snoop snoop snoop. I was actually excited for her to get amnesia, thinking that would resolve some of her horrible personality traits. But don't hold your breath, it didn't work! Trying to shape this affliction as insatiable curiosity just didn't work for me. I was hoping she would fall off the cliff and a new heroine would take her place. Sigh.
The relationship between these two pokes along. Because I hated Jacinda so much, I really couldn't get behind the match. But with Jacinda sneaking around all the time, and Crispin trying to protect his secret, there wasn't enough honest communication to build up the relationship, at least in my view.
For the positives (besides Crispin), I liked many of the secondary characters. Crispin's sister was tragic and endearing. The servants and well-wishing villagers added a light fun element to the story. And even Jacinda's sisters and uncle seemed to have much better personality traits (at least from their brief appearance in the story). Shockingly, there was a character who sometimes surpassed Jacinda in making my lip curl, and that was Crispin's Aunt Hortense. Though her undesirability faded much faster than Jacinda's, I still wasn't a fan.
I enjoy Lorret's writing style, and I have no complaints about the actual writing in this story. This was just the case of a character that I could not get along with. It happens.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Avon.
March 2, 2019
(Tropes: Arranged Marriage (or attempts at), Opposites Attract, Enemies to Lovers, Unstarched (hero)
It's hard not to love a heroine, when caught snooping in the middle of the night at the hero's home, has no shame in pretending she is exactly where she is meant to be.
-“What a pleasant surprise. I was afraid I’d have to wait here for hours before you awakened.”
- "I will not excuse you, Miss Bourne. You are trespassing in my home, disguised as a servant, and—”
“Aren’t we all servants to one another, sir, each in our own way?” She’d heard these very words from the reverend this past Sunday.
But it's a bit hard to love the relationships when they share very little time together.
Sharing space tension vibrates and dialogue snaps - but after a page or two, they take leave to hang out with a bunch of other people.
It's a shame, because this book had SUCH potential.
Unfortunately it didn't step up until the very last third and that's simply too late.
2.5 - 3 stars
It's hard not to love a heroine, when caught snooping in the middle of the night at the hero's home, has no shame in pretending she is exactly where she is meant to be.
-“What a pleasant surprise. I was afraid I’d have to wait here for hours before you awakened.”
- "I will not excuse you, Miss Bourne. You are trespassing in my home, disguised as a servant, and—”
“Aren’t we all servants to one another, sir, each in our own way?” She’d heard these very words from the reverend this past Sunday.
But it's a bit hard to love the relationships when they share very little time together.
Sharing space tension vibrates and dialogue snaps - but after a page or two, they take leave to hang out with a bunch of other people.
It's a shame, because this book had SUCH potential.
Unfortunately it didn't step up until the very last third and that's simply too late.
2.5 - 3 stars
May 16, 2018
The whole story was far-fetched. On top of that, amnesia stories are not my favorite. The amnesia was the catalyst for Jacinda and Crispin to spend time together because with the way these two irritated each other they wouldn't have done it willingly. Although more plausible reasons than amnesia could have been employed.
The romance was a hard sell for me. For most of the book they did not get along. None of their conversations were witty or endearing. They were opposites but not in an opposites attract kind of way. I never felt any angst as I waited for them to finally be together.
Jacinda annoyed me. She was extremely flighty and never thought things through. More than once she put her life at risk as well as risking a reputable future. She had no respect for anyone else especially others personal boundaries. Many of her behaviors are ones I personally detest. Crispin was okay. He was grumpy most of the time but considering most of his scenes were with Jacinda it was understandable. I wish the man he was at the end had been shown more throughout the book.
I received this from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
The romance was a hard sell for me. For most of the book they did not get along. None of their conversations were witty or endearing. They were opposites but not in an opposites attract kind of way. I never felt any angst as I waited for them to finally be together.
Jacinda annoyed me. She was extremely flighty and never thought things through. More than once she put her life at risk as well as risking a reputable future. She had no respect for anyone else especially others personal boundaries. Many of her behaviors are ones I personally detest. Crispin was okay. He was grumpy most of the time but considering most of his scenes were with Jacinda it was understandable. I wish the man he was at the end had been shown more throughout the book.
I received this from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
June 6, 2022i honestly don't see the appeal of amnesia books, i feel like it'd be so frustrating. but i've never tried one so maybe i'll enjoy it...? and i like the cover so...
August 17, 2018
I don't think I've disliked many heroines more than Jacinda. If this is what I can expect from the rest of the series' leading ladies, I'll pass.
July 10, 2022
Not my favorite ever but it was cute ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶🌶.75/5
December 20, 2020
Overall, this was a fairly diverting read. The plot was pretty crazy and needed a fair amount of suspension of beliefs. This Duke hero would have been much more believable as a lesser title. He certainly didn’t have the clout or holdings one expects from a duke, even a poor duke.
I did like that the attraction was convincing and the intimate scenes were well written. Also the characters stated true to character, which is a pet peeve of mine when they don’t.
I did like that the attraction was convincing and the intimate scenes were well written. Also the characters stated true to character, which is a pet peeve of mine when they don’t.
June 6, 2021
3.5 stars! It was super good at first. Enemies to lovers. But then halfway through it was dragging and got a little bit boring. But the second is very sweet so a little bump for me in ratings!
Read
October 31, 2021Wallflowers temasını sevdiğim için yazarın başka serisi ilgimi çekmişti. Bu seriye nasıl geçtim hiç haberim yok 🤭
Serinin odak noktası üç kız kardeş ve birlikte kurdukları çöpçatanlık şirketi. Tabi haftada en az üç kez aşık olan amcalarının adı altında.Mazallah, şirket işleten ve çalışan kadınlar duyulsa başlarına taş yağar.🙄
İlk hikayemiz şirketin araştırmacısı, bir diğer tabirle her şeyi merak edip didikleyen ortanca kardeş Jacinda'yı anlatıyor. Karşısına da acilen bir mirasçı ile evlenmesi gereken Rydstrom Dükü Crispin çıkıyor.
Bir dükü baş göz etmek demek, isimlerini sosyeteye duyurmak demek. Bulunmaz fırsat şu Crispin. Birde neler saklıyor, ne sırları var bakmak lazım tabi... Gayrimeşru bir çocuk, alkolik bir yapı, kumar bağımlılığı ve belki de türlü psikopatlıkları olabilir. 😱Doğal olarak bir gece ansızın Jacinda'nın, dükün evine girip odalarını karıştırması çok normal. Yakalanmasa her şey çok yolundaydı aslında 🤭Olsun ufak bir aksilikle yılmayı asla düşünmeyen Jacinda, bir de kır evine gideyim der. Ah orada aksiliğin büyüğünü öğrenir. Ufak bir deniz kazası, kaybolan bir hafıza, huysuz bir dük... İşgüzar köy sakinlerini de unutmamak lazım. 😇
Ben okurken keyif aldım. Çok farklı şeyler yoktu, ama akıcı bir hikâyeydi. Zaten asıl üçüncü kitap ilgimi çektiği için başlamıştım. Seriye güzel bir giriş olmuş. Yazar teması yüzünden midir bilinmez Jane Austen-Emma kitabından alıntılara de yer vermiş. Aynı zamanda üç kardeşin de elinde Emma'nın sırasıyla üç cildi bulunuyor.
Sadece şu olay sinirimi bozuyor. Seni seviyorum. Senin iyiliğin için seni terk ediyorum . Hatta öyle ki sana birini bile ayarlayacağım🤦🏻♀️ bir gidin ya...
Onun dışında okunur bir seri gibi duruyor.🤭
Serinin odak noktası üç kız kardeş ve birlikte kurdukları çöpçatanlık şirketi. Tabi haftada en az üç kez aşık olan amcalarının adı altında.Mazallah, şirket işleten ve çalışan kadınlar duyulsa başlarına taş yağar.🙄
İlk hikayemiz şirketin araştırmacısı, bir diğer tabirle her şeyi merak edip didikleyen ortanca kardeş Jacinda'yı anlatıyor. Karşısına da acilen bir mirasçı ile evlenmesi gereken Rydstrom Dükü Crispin çıkıyor.
Bir dükü baş göz etmek demek, isimlerini sosyeteye duyurmak demek. Bulunmaz fırsat şu Crispin. Birde neler saklıyor, ne sırları var bakmak lazım tabi... Gayrimeşru bir çocuk, alkolik bir yapı, kumar bağımlılığı ve belki de türlü psikopatlıkları olabilir. 😱Doğal olarak bir gece ansızın Jacinda'nın, dükün evine girip odalarını karıştırması çok normal. Yakalanmasa her şey çok yolundaydı aslında 🤭Olsun ufak bir aksilikle yılmayı asla düşünmeyen Jacinda, bir de kır evine gideyim der. Ah orada aksiliğin büyüğünü öğrenir. Ufak bir deniz kazası, kaybolan bir hafıza, huysuz bir dük... İşgüzar köy sakinlerini de unutmamak lazım. 😇
Ben okurken keyif aldım. Çok farklı şeyler yoktu, ama akıcı bir hikâyeydi. Zaten asıl üçüncü kitap ilgimi çektiği için başlamıştım. Seriye güzel bir giriş olmuş. Yazar teması yüzünden midir bilinmez Jane Austen-Emma kitabından alıntılara de yer vermiş. Aynı zamanda üç kardeşin de elinde Emma'nın sırasıyla üç cildi bulunuyor.
Sadece şu olay sinirimi bozuyor. Seni seviyorum. Senin iyiliğin için seni terk ediyorum . Hatta öyle ki sana birini bile ayarlayacağım🤦🏻♀️ bir gidin ya...
Onun dışında okunur bir seri gibi duruyor.🤭
February 12, 2024
Vivienne Lorret has become something of a Russian roulette for me.
Her writing is always fantastic, which is why you don't realize you don't like what your reading (or in this case, listening to) until you're left dissatisfied at the end of the book.
The plot
I like the amnesia trope. There. I said it. I know it's despised by many, but I enjoy the side angst of a character not knowing who they are. It's poignant.
It won't be a surprise then that I liked it in this case. It was not too overwhelming, yet added a nice pang when things were getting dull.
And that's the problem. Things got dull really fast.
The book establishes their opposites attract set up well and early (first chapter). It gives the feel the story is moving at a fast pace. But when we arrive at the primary location for the story (duke's estate), the story stagnates. The original conflict becomes moot. He had a secret he wanted to hide from her. Without her memories, she doesn't know she discovered said secret the first day. He wants her out of his houses, doctor (either matchmaking or out of concern for the heroine, we aren't clear on that) says she has to stay at least two weeks to recuperate. He fumes. She's all
Then we get a book long montage of her being all nice and sweet and making all the villagers and servants fall in love with her. Only the extremely talented Justine Eyre kept me listening.
The MCs
The Heroine: She had her moments, but mostly she's just noisy and meddlesome. Just because she doesn't have bad intentions doesn't mean it's not annoying. She brags about "her secret finding senses" (⇐ that is an actual quote), how obnoxious is that?!
The Hero: "Darling, since you and I will always find something to disagree about that isn't a valid argument." Essentially, yes. They are too opposite. He's got OCD, she's does-herself-bodily-harm level of impulsive. He's honorable, but we aren't explained why he had that weird rake rebellion in his youth. Also, his secret isn't explain well at all.
The Romance
My Rating
⭐⭐ for Justin Eyre
⭐ for the writing
Her writing is always fantastic, which is why you don't realize you don't like what your reading (or in this case, listening to) until you're left dissatisfied at the end of the book.
The plot
I like the amnesia trope. There. I said it. I know it's despised by many, but I enjoy the side angst of a character not knowing who they are. It's poignant.
It won't be a surprise then that I liked it in this case. It was not too overwhelming, yet added a nice pang when things were getting dull.
And that's the problem. Things got dull really fast.
The book establishes their opposites attract set up well and early (first chapter). It gives the feel the story is moving at a fast pace. But when we arrive at the primary location for the story (duke's estate), the story stagnates. The original conflict becomes moot. He had a secret he wanted to hide from her. Without her memories, she doesn't know she discovered said secret the first day. He wants her out of his houses, doctor (either matchmaking or out of concern for the heroine, we aren't clear on that) says she has to stay at least two weeks to recuperate. He fumes. She's all
Then we get a book long montage of her being all nice and sweet and making all the villagers and servants fall in love with her. Only the extremely talented Justine Eyre kept me listening.
The MCs
The Heroine: She had her moments, but mostly she's just noisy and meddlesome. Just because she doesn't have bad intentions doesn't mean it's not annoying. She brags about "her secret finding senses" (⇐ that is an actual quote), how obnoxious is that?!
The Hero: "Darling, since you and I will always find something to disagree about that isn't a valid argument." Essentially, yes. They are too opposite. He's got OCD, she's does-herself-bodily-harm level of impulsive. He's honorable, but we aren't explained why he had that weird rake rebellion in his youth. Also, his secret isn't explain well at all.
The Romance
My Rating
⭐⭐ for Justin Eyre
⭐ for the writing
December 20, 2018
Crispin Montague, the fifth Duke of Rydstrom, is in need of a rich bride who's fortune will help repair his ancestral home. Miss Jacinda Bourne is one of three sisters who operate the Bourne Matrimonial Agency under her uncle's name. Crispin, instead of searching for a wife himself, applies to the agency. Jacinda takes his application and, based on the questions she asked him, knows Rydstrom is hiding something. If she is to find him a bride, then she will have to discover his secret. "In Jacinda's opinion, a man who told one lie likely had dozens stored away."
After sneaking into his London home, she finds a letter in his office. The names Mrs Hemple (probably the housekeeper) and Sybil peak her curiosity. Jacinda knows she must travel to Sussex and Rydstrom's ancestral home to discover the answers to her questions. Unfortunately, Crispin enters his home office and funds Jacinda dressed as a maid. He has his secret to keep and she has the reputation of the agency to uphold. Jacinda leaves just before the cinder maid enters. She finds a letter on the floor and hands it to the Duke. Crispin realizes that Jacinda knows what is in the letter. He has to stop her from learning his secret no matter what.
When Jacinda washes up on the shores of Rydstrom Hall, his ancestral home, he knows trouble has come to his door. Jacinda doesn't know who she is or why she's there, but she feels as if the Duke is familiar. So many questions and the curiosity to ferret them out make her a danger to all he holds dear.
This book is an easy read. It is an amnesia plot. The heroine doesn't lose her personality, just her memories. Jacinda is as persistent and curious as ever, but she has a tender heart. Crispin hides his feelings behind a glower. He likes his life divided into quadrants, all equally balanced. He has a bit of OCD. He is gruff and grumbles a lot, but it hides a heart of gold. The villagers and the staff at Rydstrom Hall are convinced Jacinda is Crispin's bride. Aunt Hortense, Crispin's paternal aunt, I did not like. I wanted to ship her back to London. She is cold and condescending. The dialogue is convincing. Would I read another book by this author? Yes, I would.
After sneaking into his London home, she finds a letter in his office. The names Mrs Hemple (probably the housekeeper) and Sybil peak her curiosity. Jacinda knows she must travel to Sussex and Rydstrom's ancestral home to discover the answers to her questions. Unfortunately, Crispin enters his home office and funds Jacinda dressed as a maid. He has his secret to keep and she has the reputation of the agency to uphold. Jacinda leaves just before the cinder maid enters. She finds a letter on the floor and hands it to the Duke. Crispin realizes that Jacinda knows what is in the letter. He has to stop her from learning his secret no matter what.
When Jacinda washes up on the shores of Rydstrom Hall, his ancestral home, he knows trouble has come to his door. Jacinda doesn't know who she is or why she's there, but she feels as if the Duke is familiar. So many questions and the curiosity to ferret them out make her a danger to all he holds dear.
This book is an easy read. It is an amnesia plot. The heroine doesn't lose her personality, just her memories. Jacinda is as persistent and curious as ever, but she has a tender heart. Crispin hides his feelings behind a glower. He likes his life divided into quadrants, all equally balanced. He has a bit of OCD. He is gruff and grumbles a lot, but it hides a heart of gold. The villagers and the staff at Rydstrom Hall are convinced Jacinda is Crispin's bride. Aunt Hortense, Crispin's paternal aunt, I did not like. I wanted to ship her back to London. She is cold and condescending. The dialogue is convincing. Would I read another book by this author? Yes, I would.
July 13, 2018
I have read a few different books from Vivienne Lorret now, and I have enjoyed them enough that I did not hesitate to pick this one up. It follows the story of a professional matchmaker who inadvertently falls in love with the man who has hired her.
That premise could’ve made it very trite. So too could the second major trope thrown in. The heroine gets amnesia. Though that is an eye-roller for some folks, it did not bother me here. I did have a few issues, but that wasn’t one of them.
I guess, for me, my biggest complaint is that I was slow to warm up to these characters. Jacinda, our matchmaker, is hell-bent on proving Rydsrom, the titular Duke, is hiding something. She dresses up like a maid to invade his private space and she tries to sneak in to his country home as well. She comes across as immature and, well, like a bit of a wrecking ball. It was kind of a blessing when she forgot who she was.
That’s not to say she changed entirely. But she was more bearable without the constant conviction that she was in the right. It was in her moments of vulnerability that she was most likable.
Anyway, once she gets battered at sea and loses her memory, she ends up having to stay with Rydstrom for… Reasons. Yes, it’s a little thin, but it did not destroy my suspension of disbelief. Rydstrom is terrified that she will discover his bastard sister who he has been raising. Again, a little thin. But as you would suspect, the younger sister, Sybil, and Jacinda become fast friends. Forced proximity does its job and our leading characters develop an attraction which eventually leads to more.
Rydstrom is a bit stuffy and apparently has a little bit of OCD. But he thinks he is making his decisions based on what’s right for his sister and I can’t fault him for that. This is a very slow burn but the moments where the hero and heroine give into their attraction are filled with sexual tension and a satisfying pay off.
Waiting for the romance to really bloom made the ending feel a little bit rushed. And it was definitely easy, The solution is simple and tied up in a little nice bow. Still, I found the second half engaging and a pleasant, easy read. I’m a little worried that the entire series will have our matchmakers falling in love with their charges, but I will give the next installment a try and hopefully the author will surprise me. This was not my favorite from her, but I enjoyed it well enough once I got going.
Rating: B/B-
*ARC provided by Avon
That premise could’ve made it very trite. So too could the second major trope thrown in. The heroine gets amnesia. Though that is an eye-roller for some folks, it did not bother me here. I did have a few issues, but that wasn’t one of them.
I guess, for me, my biggest complaint is that I was slow to warm up to these characters. Jacinda, our matchmaker, is hell-bent on proving Rydsrom, the titular Duke, is hiding something. She dresses up like a maid to invade his private space and she tries to sneak in to his country home as well. She comes across as immature and, well, like a bit of a wrecking ball. It was kind of a blessing when she forgot who she was.
That’s not to say she changed entirely. But she was more bearable without the constant conviction that she was in the right. It was in her moments of vulnerability that she was most likable.
Anyway, once she gets battered at sea and loses her memory, she ends up having to stay with Rydstrom for… Reasons. Yes, it’s a little thin, but it did not destroy my suspension of disbelief. Rydstrom is terrified that she will discover his bastard sister who he has been raising. Again, a little thin. But as you would suspect, the younger sister, Sybil, and Jacinda become fast friends. Forced proximity does its job and our leading characters develop an attraction which eventually leads to more.
Rydstrom is a bit stuffy and apparently has a little bit of OCD. But he thinks he is making his decisions based on what’s right for his sister and I can’t fault him for that. This is a very slow burn but the moments where the hero and heroine give into their attraction are filled with sexual tension and a satisfying pay off.
Waiting for the romance to really bloom made the ending feel a little bit rushed. And it was definitely easy, The solution is simple and tied up in a little nice bow. Still, I found the second half engaging and a pleasant, easy read. I’m a little worried that the entire series will have our matchmakers falling in love with their charges, but I will give the next installment a try and hopefully the author will surprise me. This was not my favorite from her, but I enjoyed it well enough once I got going.
Rating: B/B-
*ARC provided by Avon
June 16, 2018
I really wanted to like this one. The story sounded great and I did really like Rydstrom's character, his household staff, and his sister but it was the heroine, Jacinda, who ruined the book for me. I found her totally unlikeable. She wasn't just headstrong or independent, rather she came across as nosy and meddling simply to satisfy her own whims more so than out of a desire to really help others. She would make the appearance of saying she was poking her nose where it doesn't belong because she wanted what was best for her clients but really it was for her own personal satisfaction of knowing everyone's secrets. Even when she develops amnesia you would think she would become more likable but no, her selfishness and tendency to dig into anything that catches her eye without thought for the consequences continue. Yes, there are occasional times where her stubbornness ends up helping others but it still feels like she takes those actions to spite Rydstrom or just because she wants something her way and she still doesn't fully think her actions through. It isn't until the very end where she finally starts becoming a bit likable but it was too little too late. It was a struggle to make it through this book.
June 28, 2020
• I was worried going into this one because a lot of people in their reviews disliked Jacinda for being nosy - but she is very clearly modelled after Emma Woodhouse, which just shows me that those people have not read the novel in question. Despite my initial misgivings, this book was absolutely lovely. Jacinda snoops because she's wary of secrets since her father kept a family on the side and her mother died of a broken heart. And Crispin was a sweetheart, really. I also loved that this is set in a castle with a bailey and a donjon (no, not a dungeon lol), which reminds me of some of the medievals that I love. I didn't even mind the amnesia thing because it wasn't done in a morose manner and Jacinda kept all of her idiosyncrasies.
January 5, 2022
eh..
Amnesia plot. Weird Emma by Jane Austen parallels... Duke with a secret..
I didn't really feel they chemistry and I was very bored for 60% of this one.
3/5 stars
Amnesia plot. Weird Emma by Jane Austen parallels... Duke with a secret..
I didn't really feel they chemistry and I was very bored for 60% of this one.
3/5 stars
October 16, 2021
enjoyable historical romance
i am definitely curious about the other two sisters stories
i am definitely curious about the other two sisters stories
February 23, 2019
It has been forever it seems since I have picked up a Lorret romance and I had forgotten how swoony her books are and they are so easy to get into. I have been in the mood for historical audiobooks lately, And I grabbed this one up from the library since I hadn’t read it yet and its the first book in her latest series “Misadventures in Matchmaking” which is about three sisters who start a matchmaking business together along with their uncle.
The Duke of Rydstrom is looking for a wife to help fill his coffers and help bring him the money he needs for his lands and tenants. Like many Aristocrats, he is need of a rich wife especially since he has a half sister that needs his love and all the support that he can give her. So he goes to the matchmaking business to find the right wife but what he doesn’t expect is to find the matchmaker rifling in his office in the middle of the night. Jacinda is determined to find the goods on the Duke of Rydstrom and she knows that he is keeping something from her and she finds a clue in a child named Sybil so she heads to the country to find out the truth but then she wakes up from a carriage accident and has no memory of who she is, all she has is a book with her name inscribed “Emma” by Jane Austen. When the Duke of Rydstrom finds Jacinda in a accident with no memory of who she is, he is instructed to keep her at his estate until she recovers or she may never recover her memory. So at first there is a high tension between Rydstrom and Jacinda that is the result of both of them denyig the sexual tension that they feel for each other. But their relationship is forbidden, because he is a Duke and she has no wealth or lands. Will these two find their way to their happy ever after?
How To Forget A Duke was a fun book but I will be honest at first I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this book as much as I did here. The heroine really threw me off at first, mostly due to how she treats the hero at first and how she intrudes on him just to learn his secrets. (in modern times she would probably make a good reporter though) but I did enjoy the amnesia twist and what really impressed me was that she doesn’t lose herself in the amnesia. We still see her personlity shine through despite her memory loss but she does make some foolish decisions that didn’t really make sense. For example when she is injured and just been taken to the Rydstrom estate, she is going out exploring the estate even though she has a head wound, dizzy, and wouldn’t even eat the meal brought to her….she just thinks its a good idea to go exploring despite how horrible she feels physically. It just seemed really foolish As the Duke and Jacinda keep running itno each other, chemistry between them keeps becoming stronger between them. And this is where the romance really became so satisfying and fun. I loved the swoony moments between these two and seeing them figure out the love that is developing.
I found this story to be a unique and charming one, both of these characters are flawed and make plenty of rash decisions but they also truly love each other and it was fun seeing them go on this journey together and discover what is most important in life. A fun and humorous filled romance to give you a smile.
The Duke of Rydstrom is looking for a wife to help fill his coffers and help bring him the money he needs for his lands and tenants. Like many Aristocrats, he is need of a rich wife especially since he has a half sister that needs his love and all the support that he can give her. So he goes to the matchmaking business to find the right wife but what he doesn’t expect is to find the matchmaker rifling in his office in the middle of the night. Jacinda is determined to find the goods on the Duke of Rydstrom and she knows that he is keeping something from her and she finds a clue in a child named Sybil so she heads to the country to find out the truth but then she wakes up from a carriage accident and has no memory of who she is, all she has is a book with her name inscribed “Emma” by Jane Austen. When the Duke of Rydstrom finds Jacinda in a accident with no memory of who she is, he is instructed to keep her at his estate until she recovers or she may never recover her memory. So at first there is a high tension between Rydstrom and Jacinda that is the result of both of them denyig the sexual tension that they feel for each other. But their relationship is forbidden, because he is a Duke and she has no wealth or lands. Will these two find their way to their happy ever after?
How To Forget A Duke was a fun book but I will be honest at first I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this book as much as I did here. The heroine really threw me off at first, mostly due to how she treats the hero at first and how she intrudes on him just to learn his secrets. (in modern times she would probably make a good reporter though) but I did enjoy the amnesia twist and what really impressed me was that she doesn’t lose herself in the amnesia. We still see her personlity shine through despite her memory loss but she does make some foolish decisions that didn’t really make sense. For example when she is injured and just been taken to the Rydstrom estate, she is going out exploring the estate even though she has a head wound, dizzy, and wouldn’t even eat the meal brought to her….she just thinks its a good idea to go exploring despite how horrible she feels physically. It just seemed really foolish As the Duke and Jacinda keep running itno each other, chemistry between them keeps becoming stronger between them. And this is where the romance really became so satisfying and fun. I loved the swoony moments between these two and seeing them figure out the love that is developing.
I found this story to be a unique and charming one, both of these characters are flawed and make plenty of rash decisions but they also truly love each other and it was fun seeing them go on this journey together and discover what is most important in life. A fun and humorous filled romance to give you a smile.
October 7, 2021
Un historical romance che unisce Emma Woodhouse di Jane Austen a The Bourne Identity per ammissione della stessa Lorret. Ed Emma è riportata a ogni inizio capitolo con una citazione, soprattutto per via dell'attività di matchmaker della protagonista, Jacinda Bourne (nome scelto di proposito, dunque).
Il Duca di Rydstrom si è rivolto all'agenzia matrimoniale in cui Jacinda lavora con le due sorelle minori e con lo zio, il Visconte Ernest Egglestone, un romantico con la testa tra le nuvole che serve più da paravento per le tre nipoti, già piuttosto indipendenti.
Rydstrom ha bisogno di una moglie con una buona dote per poter apportare migliorie alla sua residenza in Sussex. Una residenza dove la neo-duchessa non dovrà mettere mai piede.
Decisa a svelare il mistero che circonda in duca prima di affidargli un elenco delle sue clienti tra cui scegliere, Jacinda entra segretamente nella casa londinese del duca e scopre una lettera proveniente dal Sussex in cui la governante fa riferimento a una ragazzina di nome Sybil. Decisa a scoprire chi sia Sybil, Jacinda parte alla volta del Sussex e cerca di raggiungere la tenuta del duca via mare. Ma a causa di una tempesta, la sua barca fa naufragio e Jacinda si trova sbattuta sulle scogliere con un brutto colpo in testa che le fa perdere la memoria.
Sia la gente del villaggio che il personale della residenza del duca sono convinti che lei sia la futura duchessa in visita, ma Jacinda dubita che sia così. L'unica sua certezza è la copia del primo volume di Emma di Jane Austen che è riuscita a non rovinare perché lo porta sempre con sé, ben protetto da una stoffa cerata impermeabile.
È proprio dal libro che scopre quale sia il suo nome.
Il duca, che torna in Sussex di corsa temendo che Jacinda voglia scoprire il suo segreto, si trova a dover affrontare il personale della casa determinato a farlo accasare con Miss Bourne (compresa Sybil, che è la sua sorellastra illegittima, la figlia che il padre ha avuto da un'amante) e l'amnesia di Jacinda che, secondo il parere autorevole del medico - che ha avuto un caso simile in famiglia, terminato tragicamente - non va assolutamente aiutata con ricordi di seconda mano, che potrebbero addirittura alterare per sempre il processo di guarigione.
La natura curiosa di Jacinda, però, non si dà pace, e lei e Rydstorm vivono un periodo di convivenza forzata con continui battibecchi e discorsi accesi che portano i due a conoscersi meglio e a innamorarsi malgrado tutto.
Si tratta di un buon historical romance, molto dinamico. Una lettura gradevole, come del resto mi aspettavo dalla Lorret.
Il Duca di Rydstrom si è rivolto all'agenzia matrimoniale in cui Jacinda lavora con le due sorelle minori e con lo zio, il Visconte Ernest Egglestone, un romantico con la testa tra le nuvole che serve più da paravento per le tre nipoti, già piuttosto indipendenti.
Rydstrom ha bisogno di una moglie con una buona dote per poter apportare migliorie alla sua residenza in Sussex. Una residenza dove la neo-duchessa non dovrà mettere mai piede.
Decisa a svelare il mistero che circonda in duca prima di affidargli un elenco delle sue clienti tra cui scegliere, Jacinda entra segretamente nella casa londinese del duca e scopre una lettera proveniente dal Sussex in cui la governante fa riferimento a una ragazzina di nome Sybil. Decisa a scoprire chi sia Sybil, Jacinda parte alla volta del Sussex e cerca di raggiungere la tenuta del duca via mare. Ma a causa di una tempesta, la sua barca fa naufragio e Jacinda si trova sbattuta sulle scogliere con un brutto colpo in testa che le fa perdere la memoria.
Sia la gente del villaggio che il personale della residenza del duca sono convinti che lei sia la futura duchessa in visita, ma Jacinda dubita che sia così. L'unica sua certezza è la copia del primo volume di Emma di Jane Austen che è riuscita a non rovinare perché lo porta sempre con sé, ben protetto da una stoffa cerata impermeabile.
È proprio dal libro che scopre quale sia il suo nome.
Il duca, che torna in Sussex di corsa temendo che Jacinda voglia scoprire il suo segreto, si trova a dover affrontare il personale della casa determinato a farlo accasare con Miss Bourne (compresa Sybil, che è la sua sorellastra illegittima, la figlia che il padre ha avuto da un'amante) e l'amnesia di Jacinda che, secondo il parere autorevole del medico - che ha avuto un caso simile in famiglia, terminato tragicamente - non va assolutamente aiutata con ricordi di seconda mano, che potrebbero addirittura alterare per sempre il processo di guarigione.
La natura curiosa di Jacinda, però, non si dà pace, e lei e Rydstorm vivono un periodo di convivenza forzata con continui battibecchi e discorsi accesi che portano i due a conoscersi meglio e a innamorarsi malgrado tutto.
Si tratta di un buon historical romance, molto dinamico. Una lettura gradevole, come del resto mi aspettavo dalla Lorret.
June 5, 2018
How to Forget a Duke is the first in an excellent new series by Vivienne Lorret called Misadventures in Matchmaking. Who doesn't love an opposites attract, enemies to lovers Regency romance? (Answer: Nobody. And if they don't, they're wrong.)
Jacinda is wonderfully wild, messy, impulsive, fiercely intelligent, and also has a big heart and enough curiosity to kill a cat. Jacinda is that best friend you wind up sitting in jail with going "Well that was fun, but maybe we shouldn't have done it..." In contract, Rydstrom divides his life into equally balanced quadrants (and seems to have some mild OCD...) and is quite stern and businesslike. There is a place for everything and everything in its place and he's not quite sure what to do with Jacinda, who is a veritable whirlwind. While they seem like total opposites on the surface, they both have hearts of gold and are fiercely protective of those they love. I love the back and forth between Jacinda and Rydstrom, and the slow unfolding of their romantic relationship.
Lorret does an amazing job of working the amnesia plotline in a way that's enjoyable and that doesn't venture into soap opera territory. While trying to remember who she is, I feel like Jacinda goes through some personal growth that really hits home when she finally regains her memories. The chapters after her memories return just gutted me, and that's all I'll say about that because I don't want to spoil it for anyone.
Literally the only thing I hated in this book Rydstrom calling Jacinda "Darling." It just came off as weird and awkward and kind of gross for some unknown-but-felt-in-my-gut reason. I'm seeing some reviews saying Jacinda is an annoying heroine, and while I can see how some people might feel that way, I really like her. She's got spunk, she's got moxie. Maybe it just means I'M an annoying character too! ;) I definitely look forward to reading the next book in the Misadventures in Matchmaking series, about Jacinda's younger sister Briar and titled Ten Kisses to Scandal.
Jacinda is wonderfully wild, messy, impulsive, fiercely intelligent, and also has a big heart and enough curiosity to kill a cat. Jacinda is that best friend you wind up sitting in jail with going "Well that was fun, but maybe we shouldn't have done it..." In contract, Rydstrom divides his life into equally balanced quadrants (and seems to have some mild OCD...) and is quite stern and businesslike. There is a place for everything and everything in its place and he's not quite sure what to do with Jacinda, who is a veritable whirlwind. While they seem like total opposites on the surface, they both have hearts of gold and are fiercely protective of those they love. I love the back and forth between Jacinda and Rydstrom, and the slow unfolding of their romantic relationship.
Lorret does an amazing job of working the amnesia plotline in a way that's enjoyable and that doesn't venture into soap opera territory. While trying to remember who she is, I feel like Jacinda goes through some personal growth that really hits home when she finally regains her memories. The chapters after her memories return just gutted me, and that's all I'll say about that because I don't want to spoil it for anyone.
Literally the only thing I hated in this book Rydstrom calling Jacinda "Darling." It just came off as weird and awkward and kind of gross for some unknown-but-felt-in-my-gut reason. I'm seeing some reviews saying Jacinda is an annoying heroine, and while I can see how some people might feel that way, I really like her. She's got spunk, she's got moxie. Maybe it just means I'M an annoying character too! ;) I definitely look forward to reading the next book in the Misadventures in Matchmaking series, about Jacinda's younger sister Briar and titled Ten Kisses to Scandal.
February 24, 2022
rating: 2.5 ⭐️‘s
oh, the sweet scent of mutual pining 🤌🏽
…but was it sweet tho? idk it was kinda hard to tell 🥴
it was a pretty enjoyable story for the most part. the angst, the tension, the buildup—there was plenty of that and then some. buttttt the culmination of aforementioned build up felt a little flat or rather uhh inorganic in my humble opinion. jacinda was tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me and rydstrom uhh idk give me a sec i’ll get more into this guy.
also, it’s kinda hard to execute believable declarations of love when the hero visibly reprimands the heroine from calling him by his given name?! talk about awkwaarrrd 🖐🏽 okkk if that’s how it is your grace, you do not have to worry about me, you do NOT have to worry about me. imma just pack my bags and get out of your hair 😳
if that was the intension, the author definitely pulled quite a neat trick with the grumpy douche hero archetype, emphasis on douche. i have no qualms with douchey characters, heck most of the characters i read about are pretty douchey. but for me, what really make or breaks these type of characters is the way the grovel sequence is executed. in this case, rydstrom’s grovel sequence (or lack thereof) left much to be desired.
uhh idk this story had a LOT of potential, like it had all the right variables for an awesome story—i even appreciate how the author added the amnesia trope and rydstrom’s OCD trait, like it added a lot of unique qualities to these characters and more to work with which i think was pretty darn amazing. jacinda bonding with sybil was also very heartwarming. but the overall vibe of this supposed love story, it kinda felt like when you’re at a club and you’re listening to a really good trap music but as you’re waiting for the beat to drop, it never drops and you’re just standing there like🧍🏼♀️
oh, the sweet scent of mutual pining 🤌🏽
…but was it sweet tho? idk it was kinda hard to tell 🥴
it was a pretty enjoyable story for the most part. the angst, the tension, the buildup—there was plenty of that and then some. buttttt the culmination of aforementioned build up felt a little flat or rather uhh inorganic in my humble opinion. jacinda was tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me and rydstrom uhh idk give me a sec i’ll get more into this guy.
also, it’s kinda hard to execute believable declarations of love when the hero visibly reprimands the heroine from calling him by his given name?! talk about awkwaarrrd 🖐🏽 okkk if that’s how it is your grace, you do not have to worry about me, you do NOT have to worry about me. imma just pack my bags and get out of your hair 😳
if that was the intension, the author definitely pulled quite a neat trick with the grumpy douche hero archetype, emphasis on douche. i have no qualms with douchey characters, heck most of the characters i read about are pretty douchey. but for me, what really make or breaks these type of characters is the way the grovel sequence is executed. in this case, rydstrom’s grovel sequence (or lack thereof) left much to be desired.
uhh idk this story had a LOT of potential, like it had all the right variables for an awesome story—i even appreciate how the author added the amnesia trope and rydstrom’s OCD trait, like it added a lot of unique qualities to these characters and more to work with which i think was pretty darn amazing. jacinda bonding with sybil was also very heartwarming. but the overall vibe of this supposed love story, it kinda felt like when you’re at a club and you’re listening to a really good trap music but as you’re waiting for the beat to drop, it never drops and you’re just standing there like🧍🏼♀️
April 16, 2018
I absolutely adored this title and can not wait for the next in the series!!
I am not the biggest fan of memory loss books but somehow Ms. Lorret made this one work.
Crispin was my favorite type of hero; grumbly, hiding his emotions, but unable to allow anyone he cares about to be hurt. His attempts to not care made the moments he let his emotions show even sweeter.
I really liked Jacinda, too, even if I felt she was being a bit of an idiot by refusing to rest. Her extreme nosiness kind of blew my mind but she won me over in the end.
Sometimes I really enjoy a story that isn’t all balls and parties, and this one didn’t have any of that. There was lots of action, however, and I loved it. It was very hard to stop reading because I just had to know what was going to happen next.
I will definitely be checking out the next in this series!!
*I received an eARC from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
December 4, 2020
4.5 stars Jacinda and Crispin. I really enjoyed this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2019
Jacinda Bourne work with her sisters and their uncle at their matchmaking agency. She takes her role very seriously and ever since the Duke of Rydstrom marched into her office, she's convinced he's hiding something and intend to discover what it is before she can find him his perfect match.
Crispin Montague needs to marry for money. And he must keeps a secret to protect someone. What he doesn't need is the busybody Miss Bourne prying in his affairs, but not even an amnesia phase after waking up on the shore near his crumbling estate with no memories of who she is could stop the curious young lady from meddling into his life and making him lose control. Inquisitive, tenacious, impulsive are not the usual qualities a man wants when searching for a bride but nevertheless, it's what will charmed the Duke at the end of the day.
It's my second time reading a Vivienne Lorret novel and I'm becoming a fan. With How to Forget a Duke she hooked me right from the beginning, I was charmed by the way she describe things and tell a story, and I was thrilled by the potent chemistry and funny bickering between the MC. Even when they touch innocently, they feel it from head to toes. I liked the heroine's audacity, that she doesn't wait for it when she wants something but goes to search for it. I thought there would be a mysterious or dangerous reason behind the amnesia trope, but I enjoyed what I read so much that it doesn't bother me at all it wasn't the case. In historical, uncles are usually villains so I like that Jacinda's uncle is a good man who take care of his nieces and have obvious affection for them.
Needless to say I'll be eagerly waiting for the next book and will see about reading what this author wrote before.
Crispin Montague needs to marry for money. And he must keeps a secret to protect someone. What he doesn't need is the busybody Miss Bourne prying in his affairs, but not even an amnesia phase after waking up on the shore near his crumbling estate with no memories of who she is could stop the curious young lady from meddling into his life and making him lose control. Inquisitive, tenacious, impulsive are not the usual qualities a man wants when searching for a bride but nevertheless, it's what will charmed the Duke at the end of the day.
It's my second time reading a Vivienne Lorret novel and I'm becoming a fan. With How to Forget a Duke she hooked me right from the beginning, I was charmed by the way she describe things and tell a story, and I was thrilled by the potent chemistry and funny bickering between the MC. Even when they touch innocently, they feel it from head to toes. I liked the heroine's audacity, that she doesn't wait for it when she wants something but goes to search for it. I thought there would be a mysterious or dangerous reason behind the amnesia trope, but I enjoyed what I read so much that it doesn't bother me at all it wasn't the case. In historical, uncles are usually villains so I like that Jacinda's uncle is a good man who take care of his nieces and have obvious affection for them.
Needless to say I'll be eagerly waiting for the next book and will see about reading what this author wrote before.
January 20, 2023
How to Forget a Duke is the first book in Misadventures in Matchmaking series by Vivienne Lorret. I think this is my first time reading this author's work.
Jacinda Bourne runs the Bourne Matchmaking Agency along with her sisters and uncle and they pride on finding the perfect match for their clients. The Duke of Rydstorm is their first client from the upper echelons of society and finding a match for him would establish a good name for the agency. Jacinda however is sure that the Duke is hiding something and takes it upon herself to travel to his estate in Sussex in order to investigate. She ends up losing her memory in an accident though and is forced to live under the same roof as the duke Crispin Montague, where he is hiding a big secret.
The romance was nothing extraordinary imo and I liked Crispin and Jacinda together just fine. There was no oozing sexual tension between them for me , I was not dying to see them together or anything but Crispin sure was a bit too cocky and demanding at times. He could have treated Jacinda way better than he actually did and I did not like how she kept trotting around him no matter what he did. As an independent woman of the era, I expected her to be tougher than taking shit from anyone and everyone.
Moreover, the aunt just added a lot of unpleasantness to the book for me and was completely unsufferable. I wish she had never been a character at all because she really gave me such icks, I wanted to slap her across the face at times.
Then I also felt like there were some points left unresolved in the book - the full extent of how exactly Jacinda had her accident, how Sybil came about if the parents had a love match and finally the whole purpose Aunt Hortense served to the plot because in my eyes - she did nothing.
This could have been more enjoyable if it were a bit more refined and characters more likeable than they were.
2.5 stars.
Jacinda Bourne runs the Bourne Matchmaking Agency along with her sisters and uncle and they pride on finding the perfect match for their clients. The Duke of Rydstorm is their first client from the upper echelons of society and finding a match for him would establish a good name for the agency. Jacinda however is sure that the Duke is hiding something and takes it upon herself to travel to his estate in Sussex in order to investigate. She ends up losing her memory in an accident though and is forced to live under the same roof as the duke Crispin Montague, where he is hiding a big secret.
The romance was nothing extraordinary imo and I liked Crispin and Jacinda together just fine. There was no oozing sexual tension between them for me , I was not dying to see them together or anything but Crispin sure was a bit too cocky and demanding at times. He could have treated Jacinda way better than he actually did and I did not like how she kept trotting around him no matter what he did. As an independent woman of the era, I expected her to be tougher than taking shit from anyone and everyone.
Moreover, the aunt just added a lot of unpleasantness to the book for me and was completely unsufferable. I wish she had never been a character at all because she really gave me such icks, I wanted to slap her across the face at times.
Then I also felt like there were some points left unresolved in the book - the full extent of how exactly Jacinda had her accident, how Sybil came about if the parents had a love match and finally the whole purpose Aunt Hortense served to the plot because in my eyes - she did nothing.
This could have been more enjoyable if it were a bit more refined and characters more likeable than they were.
2.5 stars.
February 10, 2023
Все хорошо, но в какой-то момент, видимо, темп появления роялей в кустах стал отражать стремление автора все закончить поскорее.
(Не то чтобы в жанре не были нужны рояли в кустах, но в ритме максимум вальса, а тут канкан пошел).
(Не то чтобы в жанре не были нужны рояли в кустах, но в ритме максимум вальса, а тут канкан пошел).
March 1, 2023
This was good but the heroine had to be saved too many times from falling, drowning, almost going over a cliff...
July 13, 2020
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖 📖 📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Romance: 💞💞
Emotional Depth: 💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡️⚡️
Sensuality: 🔥🔥
Sex Scene Length: 🍆🍆🍆
This book would probably be loved by anyone who is not me. But I just couldn’t love it because there were some major downsides that overall drove me insane.
I read this hoping for a forced proximity trope. And technically it is, but it’s also very much not because though they happened to be on the same house, they were hardly ever together. Their not-togetherness was so in my face that I began counting the pages they were actually together. In the first 200 pages of the book, they only shared 84 of them. I wish that was an exaggeration, but it’s not. It improves marginally toward the second half of the book but my final count was 174 pages together and 205 pages apart. (I know, I’m a monster for actually counting.) On top of that, there was almost always someone else with them, so not a lot of this was even alone time.
In fairness, they did think about each other and I enjoyed those thoughts, but it wasn’t enough. More than half the book apart isn’t enjoyable for me.
And what I think made it even worse for me was that when they were together the chemistry was amazing! I tell you, I have never felt so confused about a book. Everything inside me wanted to love it. But I was so aggravated that they spent so much time apart. Every time it got going it stopped again. And by the time I made it half way through I felt exhausted by how much I wanted more and there was no gratification in sight. In a weird way, it made me want to cry. Not because the book was emotional, but because it tried my patience so thoroughly.
It’s so, so slow. And not in a slow burn sort of way. It would be slow burn to me if they actually were together. But they weren’t so it just registered as slow. Full stop. You don’t get a first kiss until 185 pages in. And then not another until page 274. And one sex scene around 320. And that’s it. And worse, oral sex is hinted at in this scene, then skipped with a tease of “later then” and then “later” is a fade to black scene. All that investment and not enough reward.
The thing is, it’s not a bad book. I can see people giving this 5 stars and I wouldn’t begrudge them for it one bit. But don’t read it expecting the togetherness or a forced proximity trope. Don’t read it expecting tons of steam. You won’t find it here. (Though you will find feels...when they are together.) But if you go into it with your expectations straight, you probably will love it.
There were some things I loved. I loved Crispin. He’s an amazing hero and truly deserved a better book and way more page time. I loved how badly he wanted Jacinda. I loved his personality quirks and brooding demeanor and basically everything about him. I loved how insane he went internally as he fell in love. He was so good.
Jacinda was a too stupid to live sort of heroine. She was super annoying. She was meddlesome and untrustworthy and selfish to the bitter end. There’s a narrative that she’s extremely perceptive, but I couldn’t figure out why because she’s wrong about everything. Everything. She can’t figure out anything unless she snoops around and digs through people’s private affairs and even then she’s still wrong half the time. She was a meddling heroine that tested my will to keep reading. I did not like her at all and I guess because of that I felt like she did not deserve Crispin.
I also thought the plot was a little weak. There’s a reason Crispin doesn’t want her around but once you find out what it is, it’s not as big of a deal as you’d think based on his action and fear that Jacinda will discover what it is.
If you’re not annoyed by the things here that bothered me, you should read it. You’ll probably love it. The parts here where they are together had some epically wonderful feels. They were on the level of book 2 in this series, Ten Kisses to Scandal, which I gave 5 stars. The steam that was there was hot. They had great chemistry. I wanted more, more, more. If only I didn’t feel like as soon as the romance started it was ending.
I’m giving it 3 stars for the pieces I loved and knocking off 2 for the fact that it annoyed the hell out of me and failed to deliver a full-throated romance. I thought I was getting full length novel, but I got a novella with a paltry amount of romance and sex and bunch of boring filler instead.
Plot/Storyline: 📖 📖 📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Romance: 💞💞
Emotional Depth: 💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡️⚡️
Sensuality: 🔥🔥
Sex Scene Length: 🍆🍆🍆
This book would probably be loved by anyone who is not me. But I just couldn’t love it because there were some major downsides that overall drove me insane.
I read this hoping for a forced proximity trope. And technically it is, but it’s also very much not because though they happened to be on the same house, they were hardly ever together. Their not-togetherness was so in my face that I began counting the pages they were actually together. In the first 200 pages of the book, they only shared 84 of them. I wish that was an exaggeration, but it’s not. It improves marginally toward the second half of the book but my final count was 174 pages together and 205 pages apart. (I know, I’m a monster for actually counting.) On top of that, there was almost always someone else with them, so not a lot of this was even alone time.
In fairness, they did think about each other and I enjoyed those thoughts, but it wasn’t enough. More than half the book apart isn’t enjoyable for me.
And what I think made it even worse for me was that when they were together the chemistry was amazing! I tell you, I have never felt so confused about a book. Everything inside me wanted to love it. But I was so aggravated that they spent so much time apart. Every time it got going it stopped again. And by the time I made it half way through I felt exhausted by how much I wanted more and there was no gratification in sight. In a weird way, it made me want to cry. Not because the book was emotional, but because it tried my patience so thoroughly.
It’s so, so slow. And not in a slow burn sort of way. It would be slow burn to me if they actually were together. But they weren’t so it just registered as slow. Full stop. You don’t get a first kiss until 185 pages in. And then not another until page 274. And one sex scene around 320. And that’s it. And worse, oral sex is hinted at in this scene, then skipped with a tease of “later then” and then “later” is a fade to black scene. All that investment and not enough reward.
The thing is, it’s not a bad book. I can see people giving this 5 stars and I wouldn’t begrudge them for it one bit. But don’t read it expecting the togetherness or a forced proximity trope. Don’t read it expecting tons of steam. You won’t find it here. (Though you will find feels...when they are together.) But if you go into it with your expectations straight, you probably will love it.
There were some things I loved. I loved Crispin. He’s an amazing hero and truly deserved a better book and way more page time. I loved how badly he wanted Jacinda. I loved his personality quirks and brooding demeanor and basically everything about him. I loved how insane he went internally as he fell in love. He was so good.
Jacinda was a too stupid to live sort of heroine. She was super annoying. She was meddlesome and untrustworthy and selfish to the bitter end. There’s a narrative that she’s extremely perceptive, but I couldn’t figure out why because she’s wrong about everything. Everything. She can’t figure out anything unless she snoops around and digs through people’s private affairs and even then she’s still wrong half the time. She was a meddling heroine that tested my will to keep reading. I did not like her at all and I guess because of that I felt like she did not deserve Crispin.
I also thought the plot was a little weak. There’s a reason Crispin doesn’t want her around but once you find out what it is, it’s not as big of a deal as you’d think based on his action and fear that Jacinda will discover what it is.
If you’re not annoyed by the things here that bothered me, you should read it. You’ll probably love it. The parts here where they are together had some epically wonderful feels. They were on the level of book 2 in this series, Ten Kisses to Scandal, which I gave 5 stars. The steam that was there was hot. They had great chemistry. I wanted more, more, more. If only I didn’t feel like as soon as the romance started it was ending.
I’m giving it 3 stars for the pieces I loved and knocking off 2 for the fact that it annoyed the hell out of me and failed to deliver a full-throated romance. I thought I was getting full length novel, but I got a novella with a paltry amount of romance and sex and bunch of boring filler instead.
January 11, 2023
How to Forget a Duke had an intriguing premise featuring a romance between a duke the the matchmaker he hired to find him a wife.
The Bourne Matrimonial Agency prides itself on making the right matches for their clients. Miss Jacinda Bourne uses her skills to uncover their clients' secrets to ensure the success of their matches. After the Duke of Rydstrom hires the agency to find a wife, Jacinda is sure the man is hiding something so she takes matters into her own hands and travels to his estate to find out what it is. The last thing Crispin needs is a meddlesome matchmaker digging into his life, not while his estate is crumbling down around him. When Jacinda washes up on the beach next to his home with no memory of who she is, Crispin has a brief reprieve from her meddling. But as Jacinda recovers in his home, Crispin finds he's in danger of losing not only his secrets but his heart as well.
The premise of this series, three sisters who are matchmakers falling in love themselves, sounded quite interesting so I knew I wanted to pick these books up. As most of this book takes place with Jacinda away from her sisters, we don't see that much of the matchmaking at work except for the beginning and end of the book. I did enjoy the bits we saw though and I liked that each of the sisters had their own specialty within the agency, such as Jacinda's ability to uncover secrets. The other aspect of the book I really enjoyed was the amnesia plotline. I really enjoy this trope in romances and I thought it was very well done in this book. I liked that despite the fact Jacinda has no memory of herself, she didn't let anyone bully her into doing things their way.
Unfortunately the reason I didn't love this book was that I despised the duke. His character starts out fine with some great back and forth between him and Jacinda where he's trying to keep his secrets while she's trying to figure them out. But after he travels to his estate to stop her, he becomes insufferable. He's high-handed when it comes to dealing with Jacinda, or anyone really, and I didn't appreciate him trying to tell her what to do. There was no reason for him to be such a jerk all the time and half the time he was being cruel to Jacinda for no reason. My dislike for him pretty much killed my enjoyment of the romance which was a shame as I liked Jacinda's character.
Overall How to Forget a Duke didn't work for me but I am interested in trying the next book in the series, Ten Kisses to Scandal, as it seems more to my taste.
The Bourne Matrimonial Agency prides itself on making the right matches for their clients. Miss Jacinda Bourne uses her skills to uncover their clients' secrets to ensure the success of their matches. After the Duke of Rydstrom hires the agency to find a wife, Jacinda is sure the man is hiding something so she takes matters into her own hands and travels to his estate to find out what it is. The last thing Crispin needs is a meddlesome matchmaker digging into his life, not while his estate is crumbling down around him. When Jacinda washes up on the beach next to his home with no memory of who she is, Crispin has a brief reprieve from her meddling. But as Jacinda recovers in his home, Crispin finds he's in danger of losing not only his secrets but his heart as well.
The premise of this series, three sisters who are matchmakers falling in love themselves, sounded quite interesting so I knew I wanted to pick these books up. As most of this book takes place with Jacinda away from her sisters, we don't see that much of the matchmaking at work except for the beginning and end of the book. I did enjoy the bits we saw though and I liked that each of the sisters had their own specialty within the agency, such as Jacinda's ability to uncover secrets. The other aspect of the book I really enjoyed was the amnesia plotline. I really enjoy this trope in romances and I thought it was very well done in this book. I liked that despite the fact Jacinda has no memory of herself, she didn't let anyone bully her into doing things their way.
Unfortunately the reason I didn't love this book was that I despised the duke. His character starts out fine with some great back and forth between him and Jacinda where he's trying to keep his secrets while she's trying to figure them out. But after he travels to his estate to stop her, he becomes insufferable. He's high-handed when it comes to dealing with Jacinda, or anyone really, and I didn't appreciate him trying to tell her what to do. There was no reason for him to be such a jerk all the time and half the time he was being cruel to Jacinda for no reason. My dislike for him pretty much killed my enjoyment of the romance which was a shame as I liked Jacinda's character.
Overall How to Forget a Duke didn't work for me but I am interested in trying the next book in the series, Ten Kisses to Scandal, as it seems more to my taste.
May 17, 2018
Crispin is the Duke of Rydstrom and he is in need of a wife in order to be given a gift of £4000 by his aunt who thinks it's high time he married. He desperately needs the money even though he doesn't want a wife. Rather than go to the trouble of finding a wife himself, he decides to use London's only matchmaking service, The Bourne Matrimonial Agency.
Jacinda Bourne helps her sisters to run the agency, although everybody believes that it is run by their uncle who happily puts his name behind their venture. If they can find the Duke a wife they will make a name for themselves and earn many more clients. In order to find the perfect match, they need information from him that he is not forthcoming in supplying. Jacinda decides to infiltrate his home and office to try to find any details she can about him instead. Of course, she is caught by the man himself, and after a bit of a scene, she quickly leaves. Little does he know at the time that she has come across a name that she needs to investigate with the aim of making sure he isn't hiding any dark secrets.
Rydstrom visits the agency the day after only to discover from her Uncle that Jacinda has gone to Sussex and mentioned somebody called Sybil. Rydstrom puts two and two together and realises what Jacinda is up to, that she must have come across a letter in his home mentioning Sybil. He has to chase after her in order to stop her finding out who Sybil is.
He doesn't catch up with her, instead, she ends up at his feet on a beach near his Sussex home after she is washed up to shore after a boating accident. She has no idea who she is, or how she got there as she suffered a blow to her head. Rydstrom being the Duke feels honour bound to take her to his home to recover and is shocked to learn she needs to stay there until fit to travel which the doctor says should take at least a fortnight! How can he possibly have her in his home when so much is at stake. Will she find out his secrets?
Jacinda and the Duke have a tempestuous relationship, she may have lost her memory but she is still the same feisty woman she was when she first met Rydstrom. She's still inquisitive, and won't be told what to do, and she still thinks that Rydstrom is absolutely gorgeous even if he does always have a scowl on his face when he looks at her. She gets on his very last nerve, not only because she is always going against his wishes and he worries about her finding Sybil, but he also is attracted to her and wants nothing more than to grab her and kiss her, if for no other reason than to shut her up! There can be no future for them, he needs to marry a wealthy woman which is why he hired her agency in the first place. Jacinda realises that as well, but it doesn't stop her learning about the man behind the angry face and falling for him. How can this story possibly have a happy ending, and who is Sybil? You will have to read the book to find out, and I am sure you won't be disappointed with what you read.
I loved this story even though at times I just wanted to slap Jacinda for being such a brat at times. She really doesn't take no for an answer, or listen to what she is told. I thought maybe after her accident she might be a sweeter more amiable woman, but she kept all her sassy argumentative characteristics. It might have driven the Duke to distraction, but it certainly didn't stop him falling for her. I really enjoyed watching them grow closer despite fighting the attraction they felt, and once they gave in to at least their passions, their lovemaking was sizzling hot. I will admit that the beginning chapters of the book were a little slow, but as soon as I got to where Jacinda was in the Duke's home I was hooked and couldn't read the book quickly enough.
I voluntarily reviewed and advanced readers' copy of this book.
Jacinda Bourne helps her sisters to run the agency, although everybody believes that it is run by their uncle who happily puts his name behind their venture. If they can find the Duke a wife they will make a name for themselves and earn many more clients. In order to find the perfect match, they need information from him that he is not forthcoming in supplying. Jacinda decides to infiltrate his home and office to try to find any details she can about him instead. Of course, she is caught by the man himself, and after a bit of a scene, she quickly leaves. Little does he know at the time that she has come across a name that she needs to investigate with the aim of making sure he isn't hiding any dark secrets.
Rydstrom visits the agency the day after only to discover from her Uncle that Jacinda has gone to Sussex and mentioned somebody called Sybil. Rydstrom puts two and two together and realises what Jacinda is up to, that she must have come across a letter in his home mentioning Sybil. He has to chase after her in order to stop her finding out who Sybil is.
He doesn't catch up with her, instead, she ends up at his feet on a beach near his Sussex home after she is washed up to shore after a boating accident. She has no idea who she is, or how she got there as she suffered a blow to her head. Rydstrom being the Duke feels honour bound to take her to his home to recover and is shocked to learn she needs to stay there until fit to travel which the doctor says should take at least a fortnight! How can he possibly have her in his home when so much is at stake. Will she find out his secrets?
Jacinda and the Duke have a tempestuous relationship, she may have lost her memory but she is still the same feisty woman she was when she first met Rydstrom. She's still inquisitive, and won't be told what to do, and she still thinks that Rydstrom is absolutely gorgeous even if he does always have a scowl on his face when he looks at her. She gets on his very last nerve, not only because she is always going against his wishes and he worries about her finding Sybil, but he also is attracted to her and wants nothing more than to grab her and kiss her, if for no other reason than to shut her up! There can be no future for them, he needs to marry a wealthy woman which is why he hired her agency in the first place. Jacinda realises that as well, but it doesn't stop her learning about the man behind the angry face and falling for him. How can this story possibly have a happy ending, and who is Sybil? You will have to read the book to find out, and I am sure you won't be disappointed with what you read.
I loved this story even though at times I just wanted to slap Jacinda for being such a brat at times. She really doesn't take no for an answer, or listen to what she is told. I thought maybe after her accident she might be a sweeter more amiable woman, but she kept all her sassy argumentative characteristics. It might have driven the Duke to distraction, but it certainly didn't stop him falling for her. I really enjoyed watching them grow closer despite fighting the attraction they felt, and once they gave in to at least their passions, their lovemaking was sizzling hot. I will admit that the beginning chapters of the book were a little slow, but as soon as I got to where Jacinda was in the Duke's home I was hooked and couldn't read the book quickly enough.
I voluntarily reviewed and advanced readers' copy of this book.
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