Review: The Bluestocking Duchess (Heirs in Waiting #1) by Julia Justiss

        

Print Length: 288 pages

Publisher: Harlequin Historical (February 23, 2021)

From Goodreads.com:  Miss Jocelyn Sudderfeld is working at Edge Hall, indulging her love of translating ancient texts with her librarian father—and evading the need to marry! She’s always enjoyed a teasing friendship with estate manager Mr. Alex Cheverton. Until he unexpectedly becomes the duke’s heir. Now his first duty is to marry a suitable debutante, not consort with an earnest bluestocking like her… So where does that leave their friendship?

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My Rating: 1 star out of 5

I wanted to like this book. On the whole it was a solid concept, but I didn't feel a connection to the characters or the story. In fact, I found myself skipping solid chunks of it and finding that the parts that I skipped didn't take away anything. I didn't feel like I had missed anything important. 

I expected the book to pick up once Alex returned to London to be trained in the art of being a Duke, but even then it was more of the same old stilted dialog and back and forth that I found so boring in the first half. Alex and Jocelyn are attracted to each other, they want to be together, but of course they cannot be because Alex needs to marry someone of a higher class. Blah, blah, blah, flirtation, blah blah blah, predictable solution that gives our main characters their happily ever after. 

Don't get me wrong, I will absolutely give this author another chance because they DO have a strong writing style and I know without a shadow of doubt that this book will appeal to countless historical romance fans. It just wasn't for me. 

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 Bluestocking Duchess  is available from Amazon.com