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Review: The Duke's Counterfeit Wife by Louise Allen
Print Length: 288 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Historical (November 30, 2021)
From Goodreads.com: A feigned marriage
A very real attraction…
When their ship is commandeered, Nicholas Terrell, Duke of Severton, saves stranger Sarah Parrish by claiming she’s his wife! She’s more valuable if their captors believe she’ll bring them a duchess’s ransom, but now Nicholas is compelled to share a cabin with his distractingly beautiful faux bride… Outspoken Sarah enchants him like no debutante ever has. Yet, as a lady’s companion, Sarah’s completely unsuitable for a duke. So surely a real match between them is impossible?
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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5
This was a fairly enjoyable read, but there was nothing to make it stand out (for me) against the other historical romance novels that I have read this year.
I adored Sarah, her headstrong attitude was refreshing, but more than a bit out of place when you consider her circumstances. I also loathed Nicolas with his holier-than-thou attitude that he expected due to his title (at least in the beginning, thankfully his character did warm a bit to become more likeable).
Together? These two should have been perfect, but the constant back and forth became weary. Yes, you both love each other for reasons I've not quite comprehended, but I don't buy it. To me, you are still strangers with a somewhat perpendicular story. Even at the end, I still wasn't convinced of their love and the somewhat abrupt ending left me wanting more. A marriage does not necessarily a happily-ever-after make. I would have like to have seen them farther down the road. Do they have children together? Does Sarah win her case against the villain and reclaim what was taken from her? Does the Duke of Severton go into the shipping trade with his wife? These are all questions that I wish had been answered.
Speaking to the writing style, it was well-written and easy to follow if somewhat stilted at times. The back and forth of if I love him/her than I must trust him/her became tiring as it was often overused, but overall I think this book will still appeal to fans of historical romance novels. I would give this author another chance down the road.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
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The Duke's Counterfeit Wife is available from amazon.com
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