Cyliena's Reviews > The Duke Is But a Dream

This is my first Anna Bennett book. While I wasn't swept off my feet, I did enjoy the organic way the two characters got to know each other. The premise that Lily (a Miss from a well-to-do family) is left alone while everyone leaves town and has a head injury/memory loss and then Eric (the Duke of Stonebridge) decides to take her in until her family is discovered is far-fetched—but it worked for this particular plot, as the two wouldn't have socialized otherwise.

Regarding the swearing: several other reviewers have mentioned profanity in this book. I noted two f-bombs and six s-words. Etymology: (view spoiler)[The f-bomb originates all the way back to the 16th century (and possibly before), making an appearance in poetry and even in an Italian-English dictionary, both in the 1500s. The s-word is believed to date back to Old English and first appeared in Middle English writing, though it's more likely that our British hero would have pronounced it differently than how it's spelled in the book. (hide spoiler)] The author isn't writing something too "modern" or "out of time," as these words have been around for centuries.

And now back to our normal review. :)

Lily is energetic and enjoyable, and I loved the snippets of her columns prior to each chapter. The friendship between Lily and Delilah, Eric's sister, helped both characters grow and accept realizations and realities of the world around them.

I really liked Eric as a person, but absolutely didn't like his reasons for not wanting a romantic relationship. He aspired to have great intentions but his decision-making skills need some improvement. He's unwilling to commit, but gets involved with Lily anyway—even when she doesn't know who she is.

The circumstances of the story force both Lily and Eric to open up in ways they may not have otherwise. While I would have liked to have seen these characters come together in a less-forced manner, their story was still a fun and quick read. It isn't the most memorable of stories, but is an intriguing one. The book is part of the Debutante Diaries series, but can be read as a standalone.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.