BOTM 1 - November 2021 - A Duke By Any Other Name

[Leena]

But,even iniss Delectable she avoids a showdown. the ending is very anticlimactic, and I felt it reduces the impact of an otherwise decent book.

[Merry in and out for the next few days]

Leena, I agree

[Lady Nilambari]

I am on chapter 7. The plot has some intrigue (view spoiler)[in the hiding the real duke department (hide spoiler)], but where is the story going? Clearly, someone is blackmailing Nathaniel.
I have spoiler requirements since Robert gets his story in the next book. (view spoiler)[Do they reveal the truth to the world that Nathaniel was covering for Robbie and that Robbie is the real duke? Nathaniel gives up the ducal position? (hide spoiler)]

[Leena]

all will soon be revealed. don't fret

[Lady Nilambari]

I hate books with rushed and predictable endings...

Read it, liked the writing, the plot had potential and sadly it flatlined.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... Link to the review!

[Lady Nilambari]

Merry Jewelhound wrote: "Just finished chapter 6. It is enjoyable reading. Burrowes is an entertaining author but I'm not finding it a page turner.
The start of the book was so funny and captured my interest right away. I ..."

I see what you meant. I too found my interest drifting in the later half of the book. I actually spent a lot of time debating the legalities of this deception with my husband, creating hypothetical scenarios and looking up laws!

[Lady Nilambari]

Jultri wrote: "I took me forever to finish, more due to intruding real life. It's a 4.5/5 rounded down. Yes, the plot was slow-moving but the characterisations were wonderfully complex and the dialogue just outst..."

Astute observations! I agree with everything you highlighted...

[Merry in and out for the next few days]

Lady Nilambari wrote: "Jultri wrote: "I took me forever to finish, more due to intruding real life. It's a 4.5/5 rounded down. Yes, the plot was slow-moving but the characterisations were wonderfully complex and the dial..."

I just read your review on GR and you really hit all points.
Having read 3 Burrowes books, they have wonderfully written characters that seem to need a bit of..... something. Plus, the endings have fallen a bit flat for me.

[Susan]

This was only my second ever Burrowes book - my first was 'The Heir' which I read a few years ago. I feel like a bit of an outlier as I read reviews/everyone's comments and they talk about the exquisite writing. I actually don't like her writing style - I find it jarring, and I have been trying to work out why and it still puzzles me.

Anyway, back to the book - I think the plot and complexity of characters was great. I also love a romance where the H and h spend time getting to know each other and the love story feels as much about friendship as it is about sex. I liked it enough that, as my library had it, I have embarked on Robert's book. I am 50% through this and am thinking of DNF....I can see where it is going and I feel no great compulsion to continue....but we will see. Also - I found 'A Duke By Any Other Name' quite funny in parts, and I like humor in a novel - but I am struggling to find the humor in Robert's book...I can tell that what I am reading is supposed to be funny, but it is falling flat.

I think I will leave Burrowes for a while now - maybe next time she comes up as a BOTM I'll give her another go. But I did enjoy this BOTM and would probably give it 3.5 stars.

[Leena]

I agree about Robert's book. it's very predictable and boring. And it could have been so much deeper and better.

[Lady Nilambari]

Merry Jewelhound wrote: "Lady Nilambari wrote: "Jultri wrote: "I took me forever to finish, more due to intruding real life. It's a 4.5/5 rounded down. Yes, the plot was slow-moving but the characterisations were wonderful..."

Do any GB books come highly recommended?

[Lady Nilambari]

Susan wrote: "This was only my second ever Burrowes book - my first was 'The Heir' which I read a few years ago. I feel like a bit of an outlier as I read reviews/everyone's comments and they talk about the exqu..."

Even I read The Heir first and the writing style felt vastly different from this one. I did not enjoy The Heir all that much. The style in Duke by any other name was much better I felt concerning the relationship between the main characters.

I do agree with you about the friendship aspect between Nate & Althea.

Certain parts were really funny, there was amazing joviality in conversation. Especially the part where Nathaniel is asking Stephen to threaten him. I burst out in giggles!

Are you not linking Robert's book? I was really looking forward to it.

[Joanna Loves Reading, Bluestocking of HR novels]

I didn’t end up getting to this one. I read the first two in series, and then it became too much GB at once for me. I am in the minority here that I don’t like her writing style much, though I can see why many do. She does great interesting characters and settings so I may get to this eventually.

[Mariana]

Merry Christmas Jewelhound, good point about the opening with the pigs potentially leading to a funny story (that didn't really line up to for me).

Jultri, you are right that there were likely more reasons motivating Althea than what was overtly described.

Unfortunately, I decided to give up. I've been so busy, I have had less time to read recently. I figure I might as well finish the books I am enjoying the most and save my time from the ones not holding my attention.

It does seem that most enjoyed this one. I see a lot of 3 and 4 star ratings, so this seems to have been a good choice.

[Jultri]

Lady Nilambari wrote: "Merry Jewelhound wrote: "Lady Nilambari wrote: "Jultri wrote: "I took me forever to finish, more due to intruding real life. It's a 4.5/5 rounded down. Yes, the plot was slow-moving but the charact..."

Lady Nilambari, my favourite GB book is The Duke's Disaster. I found it charming and very amusing.

I understand the criticism of GB. Most of the ones I have read, while well-written, were pleasant but not really outstanding as such. She reminds me of Mary Balogh with less angst in that the plots generally tend to be quite slow moving and the emphasis is more on the characterisations. If the characters are not that interesting or even likeable, there's not much to fall back on. Like with MB, I find GB's language very authentic and you won't find any anachronicism in her books.

I'm about a third through Robert's book. It is less captivating and there is not much of the witty banter I enjoyed in Nathaniel and Althea's book.

[Merry in and out for the next few days]

I think in some ways I am unfair. My main complaint is instalust and here I have wall drawn characters and the main characters getting to know each other.

[Lady Nilambari]

When there is an instalust involved, it becomes very difficult to weave believable romance into the story. Otherwise it’s just physical attraction and nothing more..very few authors can manage it I think!

[Lorien]

Last one to finish this book up. It really dragged for me in the middle. But overall I liked it okay.

[Mamacita aka MawMaw]

Jultri wrote: "Lady Nilambari wrote: "Merry Jewelhound wrote: "Lady Nilambari wrote: "Jultri wrote: "I took me forever to finish, more due to intruding real life. It's a 4.5/5 rounded down. Yes, the plot was slow..."

The banter was my favorite thing about this book!

[Mamacita aka MawMaw]

Lady Nilambari wrote: "Merry Jewelhound wrote: "Lady Nilambari wrote: "Jultri wrote: "I took me forever to finish, more due to intruding real life. It's a 4.5/5 rounded down. Yes, the plot was slow-moving but the charact..."

I LOVED STEVEN'S BOOK!! It is my favorite of the series. Next only to Nathaniel and Althea's as far as this series.

I agree about but also my favorite & I would suggest reading before The Heir would be . This book is tied with Steven's book as far as my favorite. It was my 1st GB book.