He’s
at her service…
Though she can’t afford the coal to heat her drafty Mayfair mansion, Felicity Langley still clings to her dream of marrying a duke—one she’s had since her very first curtsy. After all, she’s been promised to the very lofty Duke of Hollindrake for the last four years. Now all she has to do is meet him. But what Felicity doesn’t realize is that she has met her duke—he’s the altogether too handsome man who Felicity has just mistaken …for her new footman!
By rights, Thatcher should immediately set this presumptuous chit straight and tell her he has no intention of honoring the arranged betrothal. But he’s quickly smitten by Felicity’s delightful determination, her irrepressible charm …and her breathtaking sensuality. Yes, she’d wed him in an instant were his true identity revealed—but Thatcher’s vowed to marry only for love. So begins his deception and his conquest of this uncommon woman who doesn’t believe in romance, but is about to find her heart and passion set aflame by the unlikely man she’s sworn to resist.
Love Letters from a Duke, by Elizabeth Boyle
Although this is the third book in the Bachelor Chronicles series, it’s the first book by Elizabeth Boyle that I’d ever read. And as such, it should be the first one of hers that I review, because it completely stole my heart. Much like the characters did. Felicity has a spark about her that reminds me of the person I wish I could be like — her determination to get things done, her loyalty to people (even when she’s aware of their flaws), and how she doesn’t allow life’s challenges to get her down. Even when she feels her back is against a wall, she still manages to rally, knowing that she can make the best of it somehow.
That was something I desperately wanted to believe in, when I first read the book in the middle of my long, slow slog through graduate school. The idea that someone could still take joy in life, even when the world was presenting challenges — I needed that. It doesn’t hurt that her dialogue sparkles and the secondary characters are equally well-developed (unsurprising in a series like this).
This is a decidedly modern Regency romance, with a plot that would be completely impossible by Heyer standards, but it’s a fun read. Thatcher works well as a Duke who isn’t interested in being all that ducal, and watching him learn about his grandfather through the glimpses of the letters that Felicity and his grandfather exchanged in his name make both him and his grandfather more human. I really enjoyed the ending too. No spoilers but it was perfect for the characters!
This is definitely a book I’m more than happy to pull out for a reread when I need a smile or a reminder that there is still joy in life. I’m not in grad school anymore (thank goodness) but there are still days where that kind of thing is very helpful. As my experience shows, you don’t have to have read the earlier books in the series, although some of the references to earlier events will be less clear. Do yourself a favor though and don’t miss it!