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The Unwanted Dukes #1
The Duke and the Wallflower
Shunned by a society that puts attractiveness above all else, Lady Eliza Darby’s wallflower status keeps her from getting the one thing she wants most, namely, to be a mother. But when her scorned older sister returns home to see all of her sisters wed in happy matches, it may be Eliza’s only chance to secure a husband and have the children she so desires.
Jilted in a publicly humiliating display, Dax Kane, the Duke of Ashbourne, has sworn off love forever and has no wish to wed. But when the title demands it, he selects the most perfect candidate for the position: Lady Eliza Darby, a wallflower so unattractive, he won’t be in danger of falling in love with her. But the Jilted Duke will soon discover looks have nothing to do with love.
Jilted in a publicly humiliating display, Dax Kane, the Duke of Ashbourne, has sworn off love forever and has no wish to wed. But when the title demands it, he selects the most perfect candidate for the position: Lady Eliza Darby, a wallflower so unattractive, he won’t be in danger of falling in love with her. But the Jilted Duke will soon discover looks have nothing to do with love.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 27, 2020
905 people are currently reading
2899 people want to read
About the author
Jessie Clever
44 books195 followersJessie decided to be a writer because there were too many lives she wanted to live to just pick one.
Taking her history degree dangerously, Jessie tells the stories of courageous heroines, the men who dared to love them, and the world that tried to defeat them.
Jessie lives in New Hampshire where if she’s not at her desk writing, she’s probably letting the dog out. Again.
Join Jessie's Readers Club for sneak peeks and the latest news: https://jessieclever.com/newsletter/
Taking her history degree dangerously, Jessie tells the stories of courageous heroines, the men who dared to love them, and the world that tried to defeat them.
Jessie lives in New Hampshire where if she’s not at her desk writing, she’s probably letting the dog out. Again.
Join Jessie's Readers Club for sneak peeks and the latest news: https://jessieclever.com/newsletter/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 355 reviews
April 18, 2023
2.5/5. I didn't mind the premise too much - Duke who had his heart publicly scorched looks for unattractive wife in order to safeguard himself against falling in love again. He finds the perfect candidate in Eliza, "with the hooked nose, thin lips, and bespectacled eyes too small for the rest of her face". What he didn't count on is that he is no shallow being, who solely judges a person based on her looks or lack thereof. What I didn't count on was how fast he fell for her glowing 'wit' and 'personality', particularly since I didn't particularly find either sparkling or charming. She started off being bitter and resentful of her lot in life. She had no self-confidence and there were frequent allusions of her being put down and mistreated by others throughout her life, that she had never experienced an act of kindness and viewed such with suspicion . This puzzled me because she was a much-loved middle-sister who lived in the bosom of her powerful family, the daughter and now sister of a duke. This then begs the question of why they allowed her to dress in ill-fitting and un-flattering outfits, when her sisters were glamorous and her family wealthy enough to pay for the best dressmakers?
There were a lot of other inconsistencies and inappropriate terms used such as "tosser" and "wanker", both were exceedingly vulgar terms back in those days and not something an aristocratic man would use freely around his sisters on multiple occasions. The casual use of these terms as relatively more benign insults did not emerge until well into the second half of the 20th century. Furthermore, I have never heard in any other HR books from the same era, that aristocratic males called one another "mate". Sounds pretty plebeian to me.
The hero didn't particularly endear himself to me either As for the heroine, her non-existent self-esteem and mousy personality got tiresome very quickly.
There were a lot of other inconsistencies and inappropriate terms used such as "tosser" and "wanker", both were exceedingly vulgar terms back in those days and not something an aristocratic man would use freely around his sisters on multiple occasions. The casual use of these terms as relatively more benign insults did not emerge until well into the second half of the 20th century. Furthermore, I have never heard in any other HR books from the same era, that aristocratic males called one another "mate". Sounds pretty plebeian to me.
The hero didn't particularly endear himself to me either As for the heroine, her non-existent self-esteem and mousy personality got tiresome very quickly.
October 27, 2021
3.5 Stars- To a marriage of convenience between a handsome Duke and a plain Jane.
I picked this book after reading a lot of good reviews about it from my GR pals and I must say I end up liking it. But, after reading so many marriages of convenience stories, I will not say this one is remarkable.
Same old- same old
•Dax Kane, a duke who was dumped by his fiancee in the past, decided to marry an 'ugly looking' girl, Eliza so he could never fall in love with her.🙄🙄
•A wallflower who comes from an influential family, good-looking, caring brother and sister has very low self-esteem. 🤨🤨 But, she decided to marry because she loves kids.
•Miscommunication, lack of communication, bad sex in the starting but then it becomes earth-shattering.😒😒
•Hero fell for heroin because UGLY doesn't mean a lack of personality. 😏😏
Something distinct and engaging
•The writing style is good, and the characters are well-written.
•Harry, Eliza's dog is very entertaining and his bond with Eliza is adorable.
•The setting of countryside, sea, and relationship development.
• The hero never acts like a jerk, he tries to but ends up liking the heroine from the very start.
P.S-I started with the audiobook by Bridget Thomas. While narrating female voices, She is excellent but when she switches, I feel she is imitating an old lady and not a male. So, I shifted to kindle after the 20% mark.
I picked this book after reading a lot of good reviews about it from my GR pals and I must say I end up liking it. But, after reading so many marriages of convenience stories, I will not say this one is remarkable.
Same old- same old
•Dax Kane, a duke who was dumped by his fiancee in the past, decided to marry an 'ugly looking' girl, Eliza so he could never fall in love with her.🙄🙄
•A wallflower who comes from an influential family, good-looking, caring brother and sister has very low self-esteem. 🤨🤨 But, she decided to marry because she loves kids.
•Miscommunication, lack of communication, bad sex in the starting but then it becomes earth-shattering.😒😒
•Hero fell for heroin because UGLY doesn't mean a lack of personality. 😏😏
Something distinct and engaging
•The writing style is good, and the characters are well-written.
•Harry, Eliza's dog is very entertaining and his bond with Eliza is adorable.
•The setting of countryside, sea, and relationship development.
• The hero never acts like a jerk, he tries to but ends up liking the heroine from the very start.
P.S-I started with the audiobook by Bridget Thomas. While narrating female voices, She is excellent but when she switches, I feel she is imitating an old lady and not a male. So, I shifted to kindle after the 20% mark.
April 8, 2021
♥ 4.25 stars ♥
♥ Summary ♥
Dax Kane, the Duke of Ashbourne is known by society as the "Jilted Duke" because he was abandoned by his childhood love on the eve of their engagement ball. Needing to marry but not willing to risk love again he decides to pick out someone that he knows will not tempt him, leading us to the heroine, a wallflower, Lady Eliza Darby.
♥ Review ♥
I really liked the writing style once I got a few chapters in and the story flowed so well. I loved getting to see both Dax and Eliza's point of view and also really enjoyed the number of amazing secondary characters! I always really enjoy plain Jane romances and this one was so good!
Eliza was straight up amazing. I loved her character so much and felt for her so many times in the book, especially as she had to deal with Dax letting go of his feelings of mistrust. Initially she was very apologetic and always assumed she was doing something wrong, and I loved her character development as she became this strong, independent heroine who stood up for herself.
There was also some great side character interactions with Eliza and her three sisters and I loved reading their scenes together.
Dax was definitely an interesting hero in that he was a nice person in so many ways but his reasoning for marrying Eliza was definitely questionable and hurtful. I also loved watching him grow and let go of the past to allow himself to feel love again. This did take a while though and there was always a lot of comparisons between Eliza and Bethany (the woman who abandoned him).
Either way I loved his interactions with Eliza and there were so many amazing scenes that they had together. I loved the slow build up of romance and I loved how Dax accepted the mistakes he made and didn't try to make an excuses - I always love reading about honest and open characters and Eliza and Dax definitely had great communication with each other.
Perhaps one of my favourite characters was Dax's closest friend Sebastian AKA the voice of reason. I mean I'm so thankful he was present because honestly Sebastian definitely talked some sense into Dax on numerous occasions. I loved how fed up he got over some of the things Dax said but was such a loyal friend at the same time.
The best character though has to be Henry, Eliza's dog and best friend!! ♥
Whenever there is a dog in a story it's just an instant win for me and I loved the companionship that Henry provided for Eliza.
Overall this was a really easy, fun read and I loved the romance and characters a lot!
♥ Summary ♥
Dax Kane, the Duke of Ashbourne is known by society as the "Jilted Duke" because he was abandoned by his childhood love on the eve of their engagement ball. Needing to marry but not willing to risk love again he decides to pick out someone that he knows will not tempt him, leading us to the heroine, a wallflower, Lady Eliza Darby.
♥ Review ♥
I really liked the writing style once I got a few chapters in and the story flowed so well. I loved getting to see both Dax and Eliza's point of view and also really enjoyed the number of amazing secondary characters! I always really enjoy plain Jane romances and this one was so good!
Eliza was straight up amazing. I loved her character so much and felt for her so many times in the book, especially as she had to deal with Dax letting go of his feelings of mistrust. Initially she was very apologetic and always assumed she was doing something wrong, and I loved her character development as she became this strong, independent heroine who stood up for herself.
"Dax, I cannot expect anything from your future if you haven't settled with the events of your past. It doesn't matter if I'm beautiful or a wallflower, if I'm outgoing or sullen. None of it matters if you aren't willing to take the risk of loving someone else again. And if that is how it stands, I will not let what you do determine how I feel."
There was also some great side character interactions with Eliza and her three sisters and I loved reading their scenes together.
Dax was definitely an interesting hero in that he was a nice person in so many ways but his reasoning for marrying Eliza was definitely questionable and hurtful. I also loved watching him grow and let go of the past to allow himself to feel love again. This did take a while though and there was always a lot of comparisons between Eliza and Bethany (the woman who abandoned him).
He already knew he was falling in love with her, but with every moment, it grew more and more real. Soon it would be inevitable. God help him.
Either way I loved his interactions with Eliza and there were so many amazing scenes that they had together. I loved the slow build up of romance and I loved how Dax accepted the mistakes he made and didn't try to make an excuses - I always love reading about honest and open characters and Eliza and Dax definitely had great communication with each other.
Perhaps one of my favourite characters was Dax's closest friend Sebastian AKA the voice of reason. I mean I'm so thankful he was present because honestly Sebastian definitely talked some sense into Dax on numerous occasions. I loved how fed up he got over some of the things Dax said but was such a loyal friend at the same time.
The best character though has to be Henry, Eliza's dog and best friend!! ♥
Whenever there is a dog in a story it's just an instant win for me and I loved the companionship that Henry provided for Eliza.
Overall this was a really easy, fun read and I loved the romance and characters a lot!
July 8, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
''He ached for it''
Safety warnings:
- Grey area cheating
- OW drama
- No OM drama
- Manipulation
- Mention of loss of loved ones
- Low self-esteem
- HEA
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
When Dax gets jilted by his former love (who chose his childhood best friend to marry instead) on the day of their engagement party he becomes a recluse and spends 7 years away from any type of romantic life. However, knowing he must marry he decides to marry someone that is ugly by society standards so he will never risk falling in love with her and never again be humiliated.
Eliza is ready to be a spinster forever as she understands she is not a beauty nor are people interested in her. She has more comfort spending time with her dog Henry than almost other people (except her siblings).
When Dax comes back to society, he sees Eliza and finds her to be the perfect candidate, as she is what society deems ''ugly'' and also a wallflower. He pursues her the night he sees her and soon finds her personality and wit to be exactly what he admires and wishes for, which causes him a bit of an issue, but he moves forward with the engagement with haste.
Eliza agrees to be his wife, as she has always wished of being a mother. They share a kiss, and it is intense and incredible for both but his reaction to it does not translate well and she believes he is suffering. She has a lot of low self-esteem and never sees herself as anything but plain and a means to an end for him. She does not understand why he wishes to marry her, but she cannot bring herself to ask for fear it will stop him from wanting to do so.
Dax and Eliza have a quick wedding and the night of their wedding they have sex for the first time which is also hers (and Dax was shocked by her never having done anything with anyone, when I believe that would be that standard for any society women in that era but okay). He is overwhelmed by how he feels during the act and she too but AGAIN his reaction does not translate well, and she believes he wishes to never have to do that again when he is actually so overwhelmed by how much he enjoys her company and having sex with her that he knows he made a mistake since his plan is now in shambles.
He is slowly falling in love with her and might already be when she sadly overhears him tell his best friend about his original plan to marry ugly etc. and this causes her to be distraught and leave, he is even more distraught over what has occurred and wishes nothing more to fix it. He wants her and it's all very fucked up.
NOW this is where it pissed me off:
Part 1 of grey area cheating
Dax's ex fiancée (love) shows up after YEARS and Dax knows that it's because he has gotten married, she shows up and tells him that she was forced to choose his best friend cause her father got a better deal with the marriage, so she had no choice. He feels sad to hear this and believes her (not fully), but he believes she is being sincere enough, she takes this chance to KISS HIM, and he freezes up for a minute which is when Eliza walks in and sees them.
He is still plagued by his ex and it's really annoying at times. Eliza, however, is curious to find out why NOW, why shows up now and goes digging into the ex's past to find out what is her motivation. She seems desperate enough to cheat on her husband and attack Eliza even with threats and promises.
Dax knows he fucked up and is willing to do anything to get Eliza back, he knows she is all he wants, and his ex is not that anymore. He wants to prove to Eliza that she is the woman he loves and wishes to be with forever. He hates himself for allowing his ex to believe there is a chance. He knows words will not do anything for her at this point and he must SHOW her in any way possible.
We also find out during this time that Eliza is pregnant, but she keeps that information to herself.
Sadly though:
Part 2 of grey area cheating:
Dax throws the same type of party for Eliza as he did for his ex where he got jilted, to show Eliza he is allowing her to hurt him publicly to prove how much she means to him. He wants to give her all the power to break him.
The ex-shows up AGAIN but this time, Eliza follows Dax where he is told she is waiting for him in another room, we see her desperately try to get with Dax and JUMP him and kiss him when Eliza once again comes in, but this time Dax pushed her off.
This is where Eliza reveals her suspicion of the ex and why she is here and we find out that her husband is in massive debt, there is no more money, and they were plotting to have her be caught by her husband to blackmail Dax into money to keep the affair quiet.
It's all revealed, and Dax is horrified by his former love and best friend and their manipulation tactics.
Once that is all done with, Dax reveals once again how much he loves Eliza and wishes for her to be his only. Eliza also reveals her feelings, and they move past their issues.
We end this book with them having their son and very much in love while planning for more kids.
''He ached for it''
Safety warnings:
- Grey area cheating
- OW drama
- No OM drama
- Manipulation
- Mention of loss of loved ones
- Low self-esteem
- HEA
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
When Dax gets jilted by his former love (who chose his childhood best friend to marry instead) on the day of their engagement party he becomes a recluse and spends 7 years away from any type of romantic life. However, knowing he must marry he decides to marry someone that is ugly by society standards so he will never risk falling in love with her and never again be humiliated.
Eliza is ready to be a spinster forever as she understands she is not a beauty nor are people interested in her. She has more comfort spending time with her dog Henry than almost other people (except her siblings).
When Dax comes back to society, he sees Eliza and finds her to be the perfect candidate, as she is what society deems ''ugly'' and also a wallflower. He pursues her the night he sees her and soon finds her personality and wit to be exactly what he admires and wishes for, which causes him a bit of an issue, but he moves forward with the engagement with haste.
Eliza agrees to be his wife, as she has always wished of being a mother. They share a kiss, and it is intense and incredible for both but his reaction to it does not translate well and she believes he is suffering. She has a lot of low self-esteem and never sees herself as anything but plain and a means to an end for him. She does not understand why he wishes to marry her, but she cannot bring herself to ask for fear it will stop him from wanting to do so.
Dax and Eliza have a quick wedding and the night of their wedding they have sex for the first time which is also hers (and Dax was shocked by her never having done anything with anyone, when I believe that would be that standard for any society women in that era but okay). He is overwhelmed by how he feels during the act and she too but AGAIN his reaction does not translate well, and she believes he wishes to never have to do that again when he is actually so overwhelmed by how much he enjoys her company and having sex with her that he knows he made a mistake since his plan is now in shambles.
He is slowly falling in love with her and might already be when she sadly overhears him tell his best friend about his original plan to marry ugly etc. and this causes her to be distraught and leave, he is even more distraught over what has occurred and wishes nothing more to fix it. He wants her and it's all very fucked up.
NOW this is where it pissed me off:
Part 1 of grey area cheating
Dax's ex fiancée (love) shows up after YEARS and Dax knows that it's because he has gotten married, she shows up and tells him that she was forced to choose his best friend cause her father got a better deal with the marriage, so she had no choice. He feels sad to hear this and believes her (not fully), but he believes she is being sincere enough, she takes this chance to KISS HIM, and he freezes up for a minute which is when Eliza walks in and sees them.
He is still plagued by his ex and it's really annoying at times. Eliza, however, is curious to find out why NOW, why shows up now and goes digging into the ex's past to find out what is her motivation. She seems desperate enough to cheat on her husband and attack Eliza even with threats and promises.
Dax knows he fucked up and is willing to do anything to get Eliza back, he knows she is all he wants, and his ex is not that anymore. He wants to prove to Eliza that she is the woman he loves and wishes to be with forever. He hates himself for allowing his ex to believe there is a chance. He knows words will not do anything for her at this point and he must SHOW her in any way possible.
We also find out during this time that Eliza is pregnant, but she keeps that information to herself.
Sadly though:
Part 2 of grey area cheating:
Dax throws the same type of party for Eliza as he did for his ex where he got jilted, to show Eliza he is allowing her to hurt him publicly to prove how much she means to him. He wants to give her all the power to break him.
The ex-shows up AGAIN but this time, Eliza follows Dax where he is told she is waiting for him in another room, we see her desperately try to get with Dax and JUMP him and kiss him when Eliza once again comes in, but this time Dax pushed her off.
This is where Eliza reveals her suspicion of the ex and why she is here and we find out that her husband is in massive debt, there is no more money, and they were plotting to have her be caught by her husband to blackmail Dax into money to keep the affair quiet.
It's all revealed, and Dax is horrified by his former love and best friend and their manipulation tactics.
Once that is all done with, Dax reveals once again how much he loves Eliza and wishes for her to be his only. Eliza also reveals her feelings, and they move past their issues.
We end this book with them having their son and very much in love while planning for more kids.
September 30, 2020
What a lovely story. I really enjoyed this reading. I couldn't put my book down...
So, the Duke choose the ugly wallflower in hopes that her appearance would help him in not fall in love with her... ofc he realizes quite soon that appearances has nothing to do with love... it was heartbreaking to see her insecurities but also very nice to see her showing how truly amazing she is. And I absolutely loved that we have a third party in this story as important as the couple. Henry was just so cute 💕
So, the Duke choose the ugly wallflower in hopes that her appearance would help him in not fall in love with her... ofc he realizes quite soon that appearances has nothing to do with love... it was heartbreaking to see her insecurities but also very nice to see her showing how truly amazing she is. And I absolutely loved that we have a third party in this story as important as the couple. Henry was just so cute 💕
June 13, 2022
3.5 Stars on a re-read
This became an inadvertent buddy read with Missy as I had been meaning to give it another go. It turned out to be a pretty similar experience as before, and here are my thoughts...
This was my first Jessie Clever, and The Unwanted Dukes remains the only series I have read by this author.
Things I liked...
- The writing was wonderfully simplistic. It conveyed the emotional overtones quite well.
- I liked the "plain Jane meets gorgeous Duke" plot. It also included a few of my favourite tropes of Dukes, a marriage of convenience, and a heroine-hero centric theme.
- Eliza was probably the best aspect of this story. Thankfully, the author did not dwell overmuch on Eliza's plainness. Instead, she established her less than beautiful visage, and she promptly moved on to the personality aspects. I loved the way Eliza's character was portrayed as wary, mistrustful, resilient, lonely, and animal friendly. Every time she was marginalised was like a physical pang. I also enjoyed her quiet evolution into almost a self-assured woman.
- Dax's character was surprisingly vulnerable for a Duke. Even more surprising was that he was almost a laughing stock of the ton with his moniker of the Jilted Duke. For what it's worth, I liked this poor idiot, I understood his reticence, and I empathised with him.
- The romance between them was sweet, it developed slowly, and it had an undercurrent of instant sparks from the get-go.
Things I did not quite like...
- I wish the author had dived deeper into what made Eliza retreat into her shell apart from the Wallflower status. She was already quite set apart even with her sisters.
- Dax came across as a spineless coward. He made blunders after blunders and kept apologising for them. His apologies were also not that great. He kept withdrawing when his presence was needed to bolster the romance further. Even in the end, it was Eliza who managed to save the day. This was not a problem per se, but I like my Dukes to be alpha, not beta.
- As a personal preference, it needed more steam.
Special Mentions...
- Henry, the adorable dog
- The overprotective Darbys
- Eliza's handling of Bethany
- Sebastian, the Duke of Waverly
- Who knew balls had such power in a ducal social positioning
- The surprising fact that Dukes could be unwanted!
My Recommendation
This was a slightly emotional, but an easy, quick read.
This became an inadvertent buddy read with Missy as I had been meaning to give it another go. It turned out to be a pretty similar experience as before, and here are my thoughts...
This was my first Jessie Clever, and The Unwanted Dukes remains the only series I have read by this author.
Things I liked...
- The writing was wonderfully simplistic. It conveyed the emotional overtones quite well.
- I liked the "plain Jane meets gorgeous Duke" plot. It also included a few of my favourite tropes of Dukes, a marriage of convenience, and a heroine-hero centric theme.
- Eliza was probably the best aspect of this story. Thankfully, the author did not dwell overmuch on Eliza's plainness. Instead, she established her less than beautiful visage, and she promptly moved on to the personality aspects. I loved the way Eliza's character was portrayed as wary, mistrustful, resilient, lonely, and animal friendly. Every time she was marginalised was like a physical pang. I also enjoyed her quiet evolution into almost a self-assured woman.
- Dax's character was surprisingly vulnerable for a Duke. Even more surprising was that he was almost a laughing stock of the ton with his moniker of the Jilted Duke. For what it's worth, I liked this poor idiot, I understood his reticence, and I empathised with him.
- The romance between them was sweet, it developed slowly, and it had an undercurrent of instant sparks from the get-go.
Things I did not quite like...
- I wish the author had dived deeper into what made Eliza retreat into her shell apart from the Wallflower status. She was already quite set apart even with her sisters.
- Dax came across as a spineless coward. He made blunders after blunders and kept apologising for them. His apologies were also not that great. He kept withdrawing when his presence was needed to bolster the romance further. Even in the end, it was Eliza who managed to save the day. This was not a problem per se, but I like my Dukes to be alpha, not beta.
- As a personal preference, it needed more steam.
Special Mentions...
- Henry, the adorable dog
- The overprotective Darbys
- Eliza's handling of Bethany
- Sebastian, the Duke of Waverly
- Who knew balls had such power in a ducal social positioning
- The surprising fact that Dukes could be unwanted!
My Recommendation
This was a slightly emotional, but an easy, quick read.
September 1, 2024
Love this intro to a series with four sisters. H had been humiliated by OW so his plan is to marry an ugly woman. The h, aware of her looks, is very hurt when she overhears his comments about her. Ultimately, she's the hero of this story, with one of my favourite epilogues.
August 2, 2024
The last 30% kind of dragged a little. I didn’t like the drama with the hero’s former fiancé. Overall, I enjoyed the book.
January 18, 2023
Really enjoyed this one. Definitely an author to put on your tbr.
Will be in my next vlog
Will be in my next vlog
July 19, 2022
I'll admit I didn't give this one much of a chance, I tapped out around 20%. But, in my defense, the book didn't give me much to work with, so it was a mutual breakup.
I appreciate a good wallflower book, and I really appreciate when MCs fall in love gradually, getting to know each other. This book led me to believe that the hero was unresponsive and would EVENTUALLY fall for the cool-ass heroine, who was most definitely not, according to society standards, a "diamond of the first water".
We for sure start off that way. Heroine is described as having a boyish body, hooked nose, small eyes and the dreaded gold-rimmed spectacles. Anyway, I like that an actual "ugly" heroine was front and center. The hero, of course, was Adonis brought to life. He's jaded and looking for a bruised piece of fruit he can install somewhere in the country and never worry about. No worries. No complaints. Just a bad banana that won't ever distract him.
Where we go off the rails is literally their first meeting. He spots her, thinks the ugly banana will work perfectly in his fruit basket, asks her to dance, and during the 3-minute quadrille realizes this is a spicy banana and his eggplant is responding in a way he doesn’t like. Give me a fucking break.
She was ugly 3 minutes ago, but because she answered a question with some sassiness, Lord Eggplant wants to make babies.
I gave up when he proposed THE NEXT DAY. Actually- I gave up after he proposed, she accepted in her sassy way, and he kissed her. Of course, he couldn't just kiss her, the electric pull of the ugly banana was too much for Lord Eggplant and he smashed the banana up against a wall and mouth banged her.
I like a little reality in my fantasy by God!! Don't come at me with your oxymoron comments either! You know what I mean, so don't twist it!
You’re trying to sell that her prowess was so strong that this DUKE just couldn’t control himself? Can we at least get some reasoning behind it? Spicy bananas do not entice Eggplant Dukes! I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. That's how dumb this spicy banana book was.
I appreciate a good wallflower book, and I really appreciate when MCs fall in love gradually, getting to know each other. This book led me to believe that the hero was unresponsive and would EVENTUALLY fall for the cool-ass heroine, who was most definitely not, according to society standards, a "diamond of the first water".
We for sure start off that way. Heroine is described as having a boyish body, hooked nose, small eyes and the dreaded gold-rimmed spectacles. Anyway, I like that an actual "ugly" heroine was front and center. The hero, of course, was Adonis brought to life. He's jaded and looking for a bruised piece of fruit he can install somewhere in the country and never worry about. No worries. No complaints. Just a bad banana that won't ever distract him.
Where we go off the rails is literally their first meeting. He spots her, thinks the ugly banana will work perfectly in his fruit basket, asks her to dance, and during the 3-minute quadrille realizes this is a spicy banana and his eggplant is responding in a way he doesn’t like. Give me a fucking break.
She was ugly 3 minutes ago, but because she answered a question with some sassiness, Lord Eggplant wants to make babies.
I gave up when he proposed THE NEXT DAY. Actually- I gave up after he proposed, she accepted in her sassy way, and he kissed her. Of course, he couldn't just kiss her, the electric pull of the ugly banana was too much for Lord Eggplant and he smashed the banana up against a wall and mouth banged her.
I like a little reality in my fantasy by God!! Don't come at me with your oxymoron comments either! You know what I mean, so don't twist it!
You’re trying to sell that her prowess was so strong that this DUKE just couldn’t control himself? Can we at least get some reasoning behind it? Spicy bananas do not entice Eggplant Dukes! I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. That's how dumb this spicy banana book was.
September 29, 2024
A wallflower but not so mush a wallflower indeed. She had a backbone and took matters in hand in the end. I loved it.
January 12, 2021
Oh my what a wonderful read this was. I really felt for Eliza. My heart hurt for her at times but her kindness and resilience truly made her a stand out. My only wish was that I needed more groveling from Dax. I want to read more from this author but browsing through her other books nothing really stood out.
December 30, 2021
Tried the sample. Not enough spark to tempt me, tho the writing is OK. A bit convoluted. A lot of words for not much content.
October 12, 2024
This book was on sale and had good angst. I wasn’t a fan of the FMC’s resentful personality. I also found some inconsistencies in the story. It made no sense how her supposedly doting family insinuated she was ugly and let her dress so horribly as to hide all of her assets. Overall, I enjoyed this book.
October 14, 2020
The Duke and the Wallflower by Jessie Clever is a first time read by this reader of this author. I thought the story was wonderfully written and I truly enjoyed every bit of it. I also liked the transition of Eliza's character and how the author showed her development from a spinsterish personality to a confident take charge Duchess. Puts you in the mind of an ugly duckling turning into a beautiful swan...on the inside. I also loved the hero, Dax who saw the heroines inner beauty with a little coaxing from his only friend.
The characters were engaging and I look forward to the next book in the series. I'm so waiting to read the story of Viv and her man at Margate or Louisa and the Duke of Waverly...stories in th making.
Such a delightful story that I couldn't put down and a recommended read.😊
The characters were engaging and I look forward to the next book in the series. I'm so waiting to read the story of Viv and her man at Margate or Louisa and the Duke of Waverly...stories in th making.
Such a delightful story that I couldn't put down and a recommended read.😊
April 8, 2022
AUDIBLE EDITION!! Narration was okay!! The story was really good.
Dax Kane Duke of Ashbourne years prior had been jilted. Now he knows it's time for him to find a wife marry and beget and heir and a spare. Dax doesn't want to fall in love with his wife so he decides he will get and ugly plain wife.
Lady Eliza Darby daughter of a Duke an sister of the current Duke, has been called ugly with her hook noise and small eyes and ill fitting clothing. Eliza excepts this fact with calm and dignity. She is the perfect person for Dax the Duke of Ashbourne to marry.
I really liked this story as Dax learns that a persons character, dignity, loyalty, honor and general loveliness is what beauty truly is!! Lady Eliza is has all of these traits which makes her very beautiful indeed!!
Dax Kane Duke of Ashbourne years prior had been jilted. Now he knows it's time for him to find a wife marry and beget and heir and a spare. Dax doesn't want to fall in love with his wife so he decides he will get and ugly plain wife.
Lady Eliza Darby daughter of a Duke an sister of the current Duke, has been called ugly with her hook noise and small eyes and ill fitting clothing. Eliza excepts this fact with calm and dignity. She is the perfect person for Dax the Duke of Ashbourne to marry.
I really liked this story as Dax learns that a persons character, dignity, loyalty, honor and general loveliness is what beauty truly is!! Lady Eliza is has all of these traits which makes her very beautiful indeed!!
October 17, 2020
A dnf for me. An ok book but I decided almost halfway in that I couldn't continue. Let's call a spade a spade. The H point blank states he will find the ugliest girl he could and marry her. His flawed thinking being that he couldn't love someone he's not attracted to. His friend rightly informs him he's confusing love with physical attraction. He finds said ugly chick and within one dance there flares a deep attraction. I just couldn't be sold. The H seemed a nice guy so maybe there were layers there. Like an onion. However, I decided to move on.
December 11, 2021
Barely 3 stars. Eliza and Dax. Eliza needed more self esteem. Dax needed to grovel more. Was the touch training style used in historical times?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2022
Actually this book had a potential, and also had an appealing trope (at least for me). But unfortunately, the characters, the plot, the banter between the hero and heroine were not written well, IMO✌
July 14, 2025
This is a gem of a book.
December 27, 2020
3/5 stars for me.
Predictable title and a predictable plotline. I wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary, I got exactly what I bargained for.
A sweet, short story about a spinster/wallflower who never thought she'd get to have a handsome husband, let alone a Duke, finally finding her happily ever after. The duke in question isn't exactly the best, nor the worst let's be honest. I appreciate the lack of melodrama and theatrics and enjoyed the book.
The trope of ex-lover who betrayed the hero returning is just overdone - can we all agree on that one? Kill that trope. Set it on fire and bury it.
Otherwise, if you're looking for a fun, short sweet story of an unlikely pair you'll enjoy this one.
Predictable title and a predictable plotline. I wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary, I got exactly what I bargained for.
A sweet, short story about a spinster/wallflower who never thought she'd get to have a handsome husband, let alone a Duke, finally finding her happily ever after. The duke in question isn't exactly the best, nor the worst let's be honest. I appreciate the lack of melodrama and theatrics and enjoyed the book.
The trope of ex-lover who betrayed the hero returning is just overdone - can we all agree on that one? Kill that trope. Set it on fire and bury it.
Otherwise, if you're looking for a fun, short sweet story of an unlikely pair you'll enjoy this one.
October 25, 2020
4.5 🌟 actually.
I loved it. Such a sweet romance, it brought a smile 🙂. Both Dax and Eliza are absolutely fabulous ❤. Kisses and hugs to Henry Eliza's collie 💕💕
I would have loved it more if Eliza 's sister Viv's failed marriage would have gotten solved too. Looking forward to a book on this.
Definitely a one time read.
Recommended : 👍
I loved it. Such a sweet romance, it brought a smile 🙂. Both Dax and Eliza are absolutely fabulous ❤. Kisses and hugs to Henry Eliza's collie 💕💕
I would have loved it more if Eliza 's sister Viv's failed marriage would have gotten solved too. Looking forward to a book on this.
Definitely a one time read.
Recommended : 👍
November 14, 2020
I picked this book in spur of the moment. Never hearing about Jessie Clever and her stories before, I didn’t really know what to expect about
The Duke and The Wallflower
. Maybe only that it’d (hopefully) be a angst filled, ugly duckling themed story.
And it was that, but also quite light with fun and witty banter, and characters that were so lovely soft with each other.
The thing that glued me to this book was Eliza; I know strong and confident heroines might be more popular in romances, but I have a huge soft spot for insecure and reserved, even sad ones. Eliza was so matter of fact about people treating her badly, so used to the Ton either ignoring her or being cruel to her, and it was so devastating to read. The thing that got me the most was how quiet her sadness was., how intimate in a way. Even with her family’s love and support she still was lonely, even if she wanted to pretend she wasn’t.
And truly, as part of the dedication of this book said: ”We've all been Eliza”.
Perhaps that’s why her slowly finding her own worth and strength was so satisfying. I loved one of the last scenes in the book when, still not being completely sure about her relationship with Dax, she still had courage to stand up for herself. Understanding that she loved him but didn’t really need him to be her own person was one of the better moments in the story.
Speaking of Dax. Ok, I wasn’t crazy about the name; it just sounded weird to me in Regency setting, but as the story progressed it didn’t annoy me so much. Other than the nickname, I liked him. He was such a caring hero; I loved how despite being adamant he’ll never love again, he did all those lovely little things to show his growing affection. Especially fun was his slow, but sure warming up to Eliza’s dog, Henry. I even liked when he had some stupid moments, like or not really communicating his feelings well.
My one gripe with the story was romance starting too quickly.
Once again, maybe I’m just preferring slow burn romances, but this story could’ve been so much sweeter if Eliza and Dax didn’t immediately start falling in love. I’d love to see them almost begrudgingly first becoming friends and then lovers. The narration mentioned few times how they enjoyed to spend time with each other, but it wasn’t really shown. I’d love to read scenes when they did spend time with each other, not only Dax or Eliza saying that they did. Moreover, how gloriously heart wrenching would it be to see them slowly progressing from just having sex to produced an heir, to making love.
To sum up, I felt like the romance didn’t have a proper beginning, but when it started it was wonderful. I loved when they Such seemingly simple scenes, but at the same time tremendously important.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Duke and The Wallflower ; it was a perfect blend of fun romance and emotional angst-y read. If you’re looking for a new author to read I recommend Jessie Clever and this book!
4+/5 stars
PS.: Could we please have book about Sebastian, The Beastly Duke? *puppy dog eyes*
And it was that, but also quite light with fun and witty banter, and characters that were so lovely soft with each other.
The thing that glued me to this book was Eliza; I know strong and confident heroines might be more popular in romances, but I have a huge soft spot for insecure and reserved, even sad ones. Eliza was so matter of fact about people treating her badly, so used to the Ton either ignoring her or being cruel to her, and it was so devastating to read. The thing that got me the most was how quiet her sadness was., how intimate in a way. Even with her family’s love and support she still was lonely, even if she wanted to pretend she wasn’t.
And truly, as part of the dedication of this book said: ”We've all been Eliza”.
Perhaps that’s why her slowly finding her own worth and strength was so satisfying. I loved one of the last scenes in the book when, still not being completely sure about her relationship with Dax, she still had courage to stand up for herself. Understanding that she loved him but didn’t really need him to be her own person was one of the better moments in the story.
Speaking of Dax. Ok, I wasn’t crazy about the name; it just sounded weird to me in Regency setting, but as the story progressed it didn’t annoy me so much. Other than the nickname, I liked him. He was such a caring hero; I loved how despite being adamant he’ll never love again, he did all those lovely little things to show his growing affection. Especially fun was his slow, but sure warming up to Eliza’s dog, Henry. I even liked when he had some stupid moments, like or not really communicating his feelings well.
My one gripe with the story was romance starting too quickly.
Once again, maybe I’m just preferring slow burn romances, but this story could’ve been so much sweeter if Eliza and Dax didn’t immediately start falling in love. I’d love to see them almost begrudgingly first becoming friends and then lovers. The narration mentioned few times how they enjoyed to spend time with each other, but it wasn’t really shown. I’d love to read scenes when they did spend time with each other, not only Dax or Eliza saying that they did. Moreover, how gloriously heart wrenching would it be to see them slowly progressing from just having sex to produced an heir, to making love.
To sum up, I felt like the romance didn’t have a proper beginning, but when it started it was wonderful. I loved when they Such seemingly simple scenes, but at the same time tremendously important.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Duke and The Wallflower ; it was a perfect blend of fun romance and emotional angst-y read. If you’re looking for a new author to read I recommend Jessie Clever and this book!
4+/5 stars
PS.: Could we please have book about Sebastian, The Beastly Duke? *puppy dog eyes*
January 4, 2026
I don't know where to start.
I think this author could have talent but as with many self-published authors, I wonder if she's missing the benefit learning from a good editor.
I love this trope and I thought I had found a new author to be excited about. But my feelings quickly turned to disappointment. By the end of the book, I was beyond annoyed.
+The first blaring problem was the pacing of the story.
+I'm expected to believe Hero meets and dances with the ugly girl, proposes marriage, shares a kiss, and panics about falling in love all in less that 24 hours.
+They don't see each other again until the wedding. Then the WORST wedding night. He pokes it in and leaves because he's a bumbling idiot. I should have DNF'd it then.
+Dax is zero to 60 insta love.
+I got tired of hearing about how ugly Eliza was and it was so specific that it felt weird.
+Eliza overhears literally the most heinously cruel insult from her new husband on day 3 (?) and WTF. He goes and gets drunk because it's all about him. She's wrecked but her sister convinces her that it must be a misunderstanding. (fuck her) So it's Eliza that goes home to patch things up.
At this point I'm wondering who this author is that thinks ANY woman would willingly crawl into bed with a man who said such horrible things, let alone speak to him.
+Dax acts all seductive and sweet and it was WEIRD and clunky. Then gives the WEAKEST apology. I guess I'm supposed to thinks he's a great guy?
+Early in the book, Eliza asks why he likes her. He says, 'because your nice to the servants'. What?!
+I'm told Eliza is witty. She's not.
+Eliza is inconsistent. She's perceptive yet reads Dax wrong at every turn.
+Dax is an idiot. How many times can someone part their lips and stare. JFC, say something. I think he was dimwitted.
+There was some embarrassing and immature dialogue from the old fiance. Oh, and a cat fight moment. Seriously cringy.
I'm so tired of thinking about this book that I need to wrap up these notes but I have to mention that the dimwitted, bumbling fool kisses the fiance that jilted him. Of course, Eliza walks in and sees it. What does the dumbshit do?? NOTHING. He calls a friend and hangs out with him for a week.
And then Dax's grand gesture that's supposed to declare his love? He sends out invitations to his ball saying he was 'PROUD to introduce his wife' Apparently, it gave her all the power. NOPE. It was stupid.
That same ball? He receives another note from the old fiance that he was caught kissing. AND HE GOES TO MEET HER. ALONE. Guess who walks in and catches them kissing AGAIN? Guess who fixed it? Not the bumbling, dimwitted idiot. He stood there with his lips parted and staring.
There was no satisfaction for any of Dax's fuck ups. Half-assed apologies and no groveling.
Eliza was way too forgiving.
Again, how on earth would a woman author think that this resolves a romance novel? I'm puzzled that she might find it acceptable and "romantic" in her mind.
It's too bad I won't continue with this author because the best character in this book was Sebastian.
I think this author could have talent but as with many self-published authors, I wonder if she's missing the benefit learning from a good editor.
I love this trope and I thought I had found a new author to be excited about. But my feelings quickly turned to disappointment. By the end of the book, I was beyond annoyed.
+The first blaring problem was the pacing of the story.
+I'm expected to believe Hero meets and dances with the ugly girl, proposes marriage, shares a kiss, and panics about falling in love all in less that 24 hours.
+They don't see each other again until the wedding. Then the WORST wedding night. He pokes it in and leaves because he's a bumbling idiot. I should have DNF'd it then.
+Dax is zero to 60 insta love.
+I got tired of hearing about how ugly Eliza was and it was so specific that it felt weird.
+Eliza overhears literally the most heinously cruel insult from her new husband on day 3 (?) and WTF. He goes and gets drunk because it's all about him. She's wrecked but her sister convinces her that it must be a misunderstanding. (fuck her) So it's Eliza that goes home to patch things up.
At this point I'm wondering who this author is that thinks ANY woman would willingly crawl into bed with a man who said such horrible things, let alone speak to him.
+Dax acts all seductive and sweet and it was WEIRD and clunky. Then gives the WEAKEST apology. I guess I'm supposed to thinks he's a great guy?
+Early in the book, Eliza asks why he likes her. He says, 'because your nice to the servants'. What?!
+I'm told Eliza is witty. She's not.
+Eliza is inconsistent. She's perceptive yet reads Dax wrong at every turn.
+Dax is an idiot. How many times can someone part their lips and stare. JFC, say something. I think he was dimwitted.
+There was some embarrassing and immature dialogue from the old fiance. Oh, and a cat fight moment. Seriously cringy.
I'm so tired of thinking about this book that I need to wrap up these notes but I have to mention that the dimwitted, bumbling fool kisses the fiance that jilted him. Of course, Eliza walks in and sees it. What does the dumbshit do?? NOTHING. He calls a friend and hangs out with him for a week.
And then Dax's grand gesture that's supposed to declare his love? He sends out invitations to his ball saying he was 'PROUD to introduce his wife' Apparently, it gave her all the power. NOPE. It was stupid.
That same ball? He receives another note from the old fiance that he was caught kissing. AND HE GOES TO MEET HER. ALONE. Guess who walks in and catches them kissing AGAIN? Guess who fixed it? Not the bumbling, dimwitted idiot. He stood there with his lips parted and staring.
There was no satisfaction for any of Dax's fuck ups. Half-assed apologies and no groveling.
Eliza was way too forgiving.
Again, how on earth would a woman author think that this resolves a romance novel? I'm puzzled that she might find it acceptable and "romantic" in her mind.
It's too bad I won't continue with this author because the best character in this book was Sebastian.
November 2, 2020
4.5 Star
I deducted 1/2 star because the last part was could have done without the Drama..
All over it was a good, i was craving for some angst,heart-ache stories.. This one checked all my wish list.
Waiting for the rest of sister and Andrew's story
My only issues is that how may Dukes where in England actually?
In almost all HR we got Duke. There was no Normal person lived in England in that Era?
As reader we do love some HR where Hero is not a member of Ton, and heroin is not a noble birth
I deducted 1/2 star because the last part was could have done without the Drama..
All over it was a good, i was craving for some angst,heart-ache stories.. This one checked all my wish list.
Waiting for the rest of sister and Andrew's story
My only issues is that how may Dukes where in England actually?
In almost all HR we got Duke. There was no Normal person lived in England in that Era?
As reader we do love some HR where Hero is not a member of Ton, and heroin is not a noble birth
May 30, 2021
2.5 stars
This book had soooo much potential for me! I loved the mc from the get-go, she was sincere and her family dynamic was interesting. The love interest? Not so much. Dax - also, side note, what kind of name is this? does not fit the regency aesthetic at all - was so incredibly boring and off-putting. His motivations were unclear, they were married WAY too quickly. I didn't like how his first thought was of how ugly Eliza was, and how convenient it would be to have an unlovable, ugly wife. Sorry, I'm supposed to swoon after that? I just didn't believe him, for whatever reason he seemed fake - his friend Sebastian LITERALLY tells him, to fall in love is more than just attraction to looks, it is also personality, if you wanted to not love your wife, you should've found someone with an ugly personality not an ugly face. Is this man stupid?
I couldn't finish after they got married (page 80-ish btw, way to quick if you ask me), sorry this was a big no for me.
This book had soooo much potential for me! I loved the mc from the get-go, she was sincere and her family dynamic was interesting. The love interest? Not so much. Dax - also, side note, what kind of name is this? does not fit the regency aesthetic at all - was so incredibly boring and off-putting. His motivations were unclear, they were married WAY too quickly. I didn't like how his first thought was of how ugly Eliza was, and how convenient it would be to have an unlovable, ugly wife. Sorry, I'm supposed to swoon after that? I just didn't believe him, for whatever reason he seemed fake - his friend Sebastian LITERALLY tells him, to fall in love is more than just attraction to looks, it is also personality, if you wanted to not love your wife, you should've found someone with an ugly personality not an ugly face. Is this man stupid?
I couldn't finish after they got married (page 80-ish btw, way to quick if you ask me), sorry this was a big no for me.
March 13, 2021
Oh, this was a brilliant story. In the beginning I felt so sorry for Lady Eliza, although she was a strong character. The plot was delicious. It was lovely to read and I finished it around midnight, as I really couldn't put it down. I will definitely read #2. 5☆
October 29, 2021
Terrible writing, really bad. The word choices are awful, very unprofessional, but surely even an amateur, even a teenager, would have better ability to chose appropriate words than this so called author. The knowledge of writing was so poor that this was not an enjoyable reading experience, with bad grammar, missing punctuation, rambling sentences, wrong words used and even many very common phrases incorrectly written here.
It's all way too repetitive, "they share a glance.. . they shared a glance... a shared glance between them... after a glance shared between them..", just one example. Another, "she must remember why she was doing this, to have a child.. she would remember she was doing this to havie a child.. she had to remember she was doing this to have the child she so wanted... she needed to remember a child was the end result.." and on and on, all repeated a dozen times in the first few pages. It was irritating and ridiculous.
It was also ridiculous and stupid that the author would expect readers to believe the Duke was taken by the very plain Jane after just three sentences of conversation. Or expect the reader to believe it was because she was 'unexpected', when the things she said weren't actually unexpected. It wouldn't be unexpected of her to ask about his residence, if he had a preferred country home he preferred, or if he resided in London.
The only part of their brief conversation that was actually unexpected, but was made more rude than unexpected, was her sharp accusation of him not liking hounds when he was simply making polite conversation. So she didn't have the supposed sparkling wit or personality the author claimed. She was just plain rude and cane off as bitter and unpleasant. Someone not even interested of being polite in public. So whole basis for the heroine's appeal was baseless and not well written.
There were so other many other problems. The wording and dialogue used was also not historical, it was all very modern, and so didn't create a historical atmosphere. The characters weren't appealing or even interesting, and the whole thing was boring, basic, predictable and has been done much better by actual authors who know what words mean and how common phrases are actually worded. Very poor writing ability and no.storytelling skill. First and last book by this person. Much better historical romance to be found out there.
It's all way too repetitive, "they share a glance.. . they shared a glance... a shared glance between them... after a glance shared between them..", just one example. Another, "she must remember why she was doing this, to have a child.. she would remember she was doing this to havie a child.. she had to remember she was doing this to have the child she so wanted... she needed to remember a child was the end result.." and on and on, all repeated a dozen times in the first few pages. It was irritating and ridiculous.
It was also ridiculous and stupid that the author would expect readers to believe the Duke was taken by the very plain Jane after just three sentences of conversation. Or expect the reader to believe it was because she was 'unexpected', when the things she said weren't actually unexpected. It wouldn't be unexpected of her to ask about his residence, if he had a preferred country home he preferred, or if he resided in London.
The only part of their brief conversation that was actually unexpected, but was made more rude than unexpected, was her sharp accusation of him not liking hounds when he was simply making polite conversation. So she didn't have the supposed sparkling wit or personality the author claimed. She was just plain rude and cane off as bitter and unpleasant. Someone not even interested of being polite in public. So whole basis for the heroine's appeal was baseless and not well written.
There were so other many other problems. The wording and dialogue used was also not historical, it was all very modern, and so didn't create a historical atmosphere. The characters weren't appealing or even interesting, and the whole thing was boring, basic, predictable and has been done much better by actual authors who know what words mean and how common phrases are actually worded. Very poor writing ability and no.storytelling skill. First and last book by this person. Much better historical romance to be found out there.
June 8, 2024
A good ooof gut-punch moment followed by some decent groveling, but I wasn't feeling the hero's whole "I swear never to fall in love again women suck" vibe, and the heroine's "I'm hideously ugly no one but my dog will ever love me" attitude. Like, lady, you have a large family who all adore you, and you're not ugly--you just have a prominent nose and let your modistes dress you for fashion, not for fit.
The bit of OW drama was kinda fun because she was sooooo over the top.
The bit of OW drama was kinda fun because she was sooooo over the top.
January 3, 2021
Delightful and swoony
This was an incredible read! Fast, steamy and filled with emotion between two characters desperate for love and belonging but too wary and hurt to trust it.
Dax has been wounded and his heart left scarred by a betrayal as a young man. Eliza has been scarred by the scorn and disparaging remarks of the ton, her lack of looks inviting cruel comments.
And when these two are United, all their plans and expectations are blown to bits as their hearts recognize the other as soulmates.
Heroes past is mentioned, And he’s a reformed rake. Heroine is completely untouched, giving the hero all her firsts. There is ow drama, as she attempts to manipulate and seduce the hero. She isn’t successful, although she does manage to kiss the hero. No abuse. And no cheating. HEA with epilogue.
This was an incredible read! Fast, steamy and filled with emotion between two characters desperate for love and belonging but too wary and hurt to trust it.
Dax has been wounded and his heart left scarred by a betrayal as a young man. Eliza has been scarred by the scorn and disparaging remarks of the ton, her lack of looks inviting cruel comments.
And when these two are United, all their plans and expectations are blown to bits as their hearts recognize the other as soulmates.
Heroes past is mentioned, And he’s a reformed rake. Heroine is completely untouched, giving the hero all her firsts. There is ow drama, as she attempts to manipulate and seduce the hero. She isn’t successful, although she does manage to kiss the hero. No abuse. And no cheating. HEA with epilogue.
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