BOTM 3 – Sept 2022 – The Duke of Shadows

[Susan]

Discussion thread for the third BOTM for September 2022. Please remember to use the spoiler tags when necessary! (Please see 'some html is ok' for instructions.)


The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran

Join us in reading this second chance romance. Happy reading!

Synopsis:

In a debut romance as passionate and sweeping as the British Empire, Meredith Duran paints a powerful picture of an aristocrat torn between two worlds, an heiress who dares to risk everything...and the love born in fire and darkness that nearly destroys them.

From exotic sandstone palaces...

Sick of tragedy, done with rebellion, Emmaline Martin vows to settle quietly into British Indian society. But when the pillars of privilege topple, her fiancé's betrayal leaves Emma no choice. She must turn for help to the one man whom she should not trust, but cannot resist: Julian Sinclair, the dangerous and dazzling heir to the Duke of Auburn.

To the marble halls of London...

In London, they toast Sinclair with champagne. In India, they call him a traitor. Cynical and impatient with both worlds, Julian has never imagined that the place he might belong is in the embrace of a woman with a reluctant laugh and haunted eyes. But in a time of terrible darkness, he and Emma will discover that love itself can be perilous -- and that a single decision can alter one's life forever.

Destiny follows wherever you run.

A lifetime of grief later, in a cold London spring, Emma and Julian must finally confront the truth: no matter how hard one tries to deny it, some pasts cannot be disowned...and some passions never die.
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[Travelisfers]

I just read this and it’s fabulous!

[Lorien]

I read this for a previous group read here, and it's an amazing book guys, give it a try.

[Lauren]

I love this book but I've reread it recently, so I won't be joining in the group read. I hope everybody enjoys the story!

[Susan]

I plan to read this book. It has been on my TBR for a while and I am looking forward to it.

[Lauren]

I hope you enjoy reading it Susan. It's my favorite MD book! I look forward to your thoughts.

[Jan]

I finished the book today. I read it back in 2018 so I had forgotten much of it. But I really enjoyed this reread - 4 stars. Typically for this author, it is quite a powerful and emotional ride.

The book is clearly split into two halves - the first during the bloody times of the 1850s rebellion of the Indians against their English oppressors. This half was very interesting, with dramatic and sometimes violent scenes. The second half is the second-chance-romance bit, and takes place in London. Quite intense and emotional, with a cleverly unfolding storyline.

I may go back and reread some of the other related books now, actually (Rules of the Reckless series).

I enjoyed this BOTM and hope everyone else does too. I'd love to read some more thoughts and opinions on this thread :)

[Susan]

Hi Jan - I am just starting this today. I'll add some comments when I have read a bit more

[Susan]

I have now finished this book. It was probably a 3.5 star read for me - rounded up to 4 stars. I enjoyed the second half more than the first (which seems at odds with most of the reviews).

(view spoiler)[I am never a big fan of a romance where the couple seems to fall instantly in love. I think this is perhaps why I did not enjoy the first half as much as the second. There was so much going on in part 1, and then suddenly Julian was declaring his love for Emma; whereas the love seemed to have more time to develop once the setting was changed to London - or was it because the book focussed more on the romance and less on external happenings...I am not sure

Initially I found Emma's depth of hatred of Julian in London surprising and a little overdone......but as the book panned out and I pondered more on this, I guess it was more a manifestation of PTSD and needing someone to blame and hate more than anything. I would have thought that Lindley was better subject to hate, but I guess PTSD is not always logical (hide spoiler)]

Julian was a great character, and my favorite character - mature, steady, loyal, swoonworthy and with a sense of humour. I loved Emma's cousin - what a great person to have on your side. I was intrigued by Lockwood. I had a look for a book on him, and it appears that it is no. 6 in the Rules of the Reckless series, published 10 years after this one. I wondered what happened there?

[Jan]

Interesting thoughts, Susan. Glad you enjoyed the book overall.

(view spoiler)[I know what you mean about the sudden falling in love. I was surprised when Julian first told Emma he loved her, and I felt as if there should have been more buildup to it. This was the author's first book, so perhaps it shows here a little bit. (hide spoiler)]

It seems as if after this book the author moved on to newer pastures with her Rules for the Reckless series. The Sins of Lord Lockwood was apparently eventually written later due to reader requests and pressure for her to go back and tell his story, according to the book's dedication.

Ms Duran hasn't written a huge number of HRs. I have read most of them I think, and find them a bit uneven, with some I really enjoyed (such as Duke of Shadows) and others I didn't like as much. This is my opinion only, however, and there are many fans of these books. I do enjoy the emotional intensity of her stories. It would be great if she released a new HR - I would certainly read it.

[smdids]

I really enjoyed this book! It was dark, gritty, really visceral and felt like it didn't pull its punches in terms of the realities of being in a war torn country or the long term impacts that experience can have on someone.

I liked that this book put the heroine in the position of dealing with the ramifications of war and struggling with feeling worthy of the hero because of the acts she committed.

I didn't know what to expect reading this book but it had me glued to the plot and the resolution between these two characters.

In terms of instalove, that normally turns me off but I didn't get that impression here. Maybe because I chalked it up to the high emotions of being in war and in the middle of a life and death situation compelling them to admit their feelings sooner than they normally would.

This was my first time reading this author and I definitely want to pick up another of her books.

[Susan]

smdids wrote: "I really enjoyed this book! It was dark, gritty, really visceral and felt like it didn't pull its punches in terms of the realities of being in a war torn country or the long term impacts that expe..."

Glad you enjoyed it. It is always good when you find a new author to read.