The title here (yes, pun intended) really just rolls off the tongue. This was a fun one, particularly as I like a good Starchy Hero Gets Unstarched (or in this case, Two Proposals are Better than One).

In a word, this book is tedious. The prologue sets us up for a promising romance and the first chapter ruins it. Then we suffer through many more chapters where the Duke is clueless, idiotic or both. The heroine is so set on, honestly I don’t know what, and I just kept wishing the book would find its footing. The heroine’s mom is insufferable (always saying and doing what anyone trying to fit in would never say or do) and Lenora, the duke’s so called friend is opportunistic in the worst way and countlessly and carelessly endangers his chance for happiness. I got to 51% and gave up.

I didn’t like it. I can’t recommend it. I gave it 2 stars only because the potential is there, though sadly not realized.

The Brooding Duke of Danforth by Christine Merrill. HARLEQUIN - Romance (U.S. & Canada), 2019.

After a broken engagement due to a misunderstanding, Benedict and Abby have a second chance in this historical romance set mostly at an English country estate house party.

I liked and admired both main characters, found supporting characters credible, the book easy to read and a little better and more engaging than most historical romances.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of The Brooding Duke of Danforth free via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Benedict Moore, the fourth Duke of Danforth, age 32, knows it is time for him to get married. Therefore, tonight he is at Almack’s. When the lovely Abigail (Abby) Prescott enters the room, Benedict is smitten with her beauty.

Abby does not have a title, but her mother comes from new money. The woman is rather pushy and wants her daughter to marry into the aristocracy. Her father is a mean man who tends to drink too much. Benedict observes how badly Abby’s father treats her mother and is amused to overhear Abby threaten to make a scene if the man does not stop his behavior. Now, Benedict is truly smitten.

The Countess of Comstock at Comstock Manor is graciously welcoming Abby and her mother as their carriage has broken down during a storm outside the manor. They learn that there is a house party in progress and Benedict is one of guests. It appears that at one time Abby and Benedict were to be married but she jilted him at the altar when she learned that he had a mistress. Her mother was very embarrassed and both she and Abby are nervous about joining the party tonight.

Abby and Benedict get along well at the house party and some people even think they may be sneaking off together. Are they? Is there some way to repair this relationship?

This book had some confusing parts in it. First, we have Benedict not having even met Abby and the next page has her leaving him at the altar. What? I kept flipping back and forth in the book thinking I had either missed a couple of chapters or they had been left out of the book. This was just not handled well as the author tried to explain it later in the book. Not well done at all.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Review excerpted from my blog post over at FanSciHist (https://fanscihist.wordpress.com/2019/06/09/the-brooding-duke-of-danforth-by-christine-merrill/)


My Rating: 3.5 stars

Library recommendation: Recommended for public library historical romance collections.

Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.


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Number of titles I have read by this author: 5

Love story speed: Fast, bordering on Instalove (H)

Relationship dynamics: The Jilting Lady (h) / The Imperceptive Duke (H)

Sexual content: Some; explicit with euphemisms

Triggers: verbal abuse (of h, not by H; historical H not by h)

Grammar/Editing: This ARC contains a multitude of layout problems, but primarily run-together paragraphs – including those with dialogue – which caused confusion. One can only hope that these issues will have been resolved in the published version.

Review: The pacing of this novel was a bit uneven, the action seeming to vary from fast to slow and back to fast. The historical setting, though not explicitly stated (and thus described above as generally Georgian, rather than a more specific period), seemed fairly accurately described.

Abigail is a very untrusting, outspoken woman who is prone to “megrims” – both low spirits and nervous migraines. Though a dark-haired beauty, she is otherwise a fairly nondescript woman. Benedict is reserved, oblivious to scandal, used to deference to his rank, and loyal to a fault with his friends. While their romance began in a promising way, the romantic plot seemed unnecessarily extended through repetitious circumstances – the same ground was covered several times over. The conflict therefore seemed a bit contrived and, after so much repetition, seemed to resolve itself a bit too tidily within a few chapters. The sexual behavior of the characters and its reception by the ton also stretches credulity for the period. This could have been a very good novella length story, if well-edited. The supporting characters are well-developed and some are featured in other books in the related series mentioned above. Earl and Countess of Comstock are particularly intriguing characters and I was compelled to read their story, which was a far more engrossing read than this one.

Weather Report version: Forecast calling for heavy rain with several periods of indecisive cloudiness. Sun seems unlikely but will inevitably break through after the rain has run its course.



Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was sadly one of those stories where either the characters are being so thick headed that you wanted to shake them, or they are acting in a completely different way than they should considering what we know of them.

Abigail jilted Benedict months before because of two reasons. One - she didn't know anything about him. Apparently he arrange things with her father, proposed to her, she accepted without question and then he ..... never saw fit to call on her again. No getting to know her beyond what he thought he knew of her from seeing her in a crowded room. A moment in which they weren't even introduced. Reason number two - Lenore. Benedict's oldest friend. A beautiful widow that is presumed to be his mistress. Something he not only did not deny, but in fact seemed to flaunt. It would seem that poor Abby for all of her tough person bravado, in reality can't stand.... gossip? I mean I can understand not liking it and not wanting to have your name bandied about, but to the point that you are physically sick over the thought of what people might be saying about you when you aren't there? Or thinking about you if they do see you? Girl. You're going to be miserable the rest of your life with an attitude like that.

But anyway. Due to unforeseen circumstances, these two end up at a house party together. A house party during a biblical flood if the amount of times it rains, we are told the roads are impassable or someone sinks to their breeches in the mud is to be believed. And whilst at said house party, Benedict decides that maybe just maybe, he should get to know her. He gives her some compliments. He shows her that he is capable of conversation. He shows just a tiny bit of emotion and she allows him to take liberties with her person, whilst doing the same to his person. Seeing the depth of her passion, Benedict ups his efforts, even going so far as to *gasp* dance with her. So of course she sleeps with him. Because of course someone who is so keen to protect their reputation that they get physically ill at the thought of people speaking badly of them would sleep with someone she's not married to.

*sighs*

What makes this even worse is that she not only sleeps with him, and agrees to marry him for a second time, but she quickly (and I mean its so quick the sheets haven't even had time to cool off) calls this one off because *drum roll please* Benedict has no plan to give up his friendship with Lenore. It doesn't matter one whit to him what people will say or (heaven forbid) think if he's seen with her after he's married. He's explained to Abby that he and Lenore have never been (and will never be) anything more than friends, so that should be good enough for her, thank you very much.

A few more unfortunate events. A couple of huge scandals and an almost second jilt at the author an this unlikely duo seem to find their happily ever after. I guess. Although I'm wondering realistically how happy their union would turn out to be.

Regardless, I am sure there are numerous others to whom this story will still appeal. I would give this author a second chance.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I must start by saying that I had a difficult time getting into the story. It honestly started off slow for me, but I kept at it and really enjoyed it at the end. I do wish the author had not skipped the three month break up and had written it out as it happened instead but it still worked.
I like how Abby is not as stuffy as some of the other noble/high-society snobs you normally read about. She holds her own. Even against Benedict (who deserves it).
Benedict learns from Abby and becomes a better man and Duke and that is swoon-worthy to me.
I recommend this book!

The Brooding Duke of Danforth by Christine Merrill is the story of Benedict Moore, the Duke of Danforth and Abigail Prescott.
Benedict thinks to start looking for his Duchess when he happens to see Abigail. They become engaged but then a few months later its broken. Now in their present day Abigail and her mother are traveling when they break down. They are taken to house that is actually having a house party where Abigail ends up meeting Benedict again. This is Benedict second chance with Abigail.
Loved their story and of course Harlequin.

At Almacks, Benedict, the Duke of Danforth, knew he had to start looking for a Duchess. But as he turned to the door, "At the sight of her, Benedict's breath stopped in his throat. Surely this was the answers to his prayers, for the young lady was a goddess. He thought himself far too sensible to believe in love at first sight!" paraphrased from the first chapter.
Well that set the tone and I was enchanted! But all is not well as the two become engaged but in the end she breaks it off. Three months have passed and next we find the beauty, Abigail and her mother, have broken down in their carraige and are rescued and taken to a nearby home where there is a house party being held. She found that Lord Danford was there and was apprehensive in seeing him, but was determined to hold her head up!
When Benedict sees her, the adventure begins to win her back! What happened to begin with and could it be righted? I love these two characters, although he had a lot to learn and so does she about him. With a cast of characters and a page turning story, I could not wait to find out what happen!
A truly delightful read that will keep you enthralled until the end. But I have to say I cannot wait to read more by this author!!

You know that feeling when, after finishing a book, you sit and wonder what on earth you just read? That’s me after finishing Christine Merrill’s The Brooding Duke of Danforth. It had the potential to be an engaging second-chance romance/courtship story played out against a look at the way gossip and rumour affected the relationship between the two principals; he, a wealthy duke who, by virtue of his gender and title is practically bullet proof, she the product of a union between drunkard and a social–climbing cit who has to care about what people think and say. The trouble is that the book is… well, a bit of a mess. There’s a Big Mis that could (and should) have been cleared up before the story even started but which isn’t really tackled until almost the half-way point and even then, isn’t completely cleared up until the second half; the romance is almost non-existent, the heroine’s willingness to jump into bed with the hero is out of character and even when the pair talk out their differences, they still manage to screw things up at the eleventh hour.

In the book’s prologue, we’re introduced to Benedict Moore, Duke of Danforth, and his long-standing friend, Lenore, the widowed Lady Beverly. Benedict has decided it’s time he married and is thus attending Almack’s Assembly Rooms with the intention of looking about him for a suitable bride. His attention is captured by a lovely and poised young woman who is accompanied by her loud, obnoxious father and overdressed mother. Danforth immediately determines to rescue her from her father’s obvious tirade by dancing with her, but is impressed when he realises she doesn’t need rescuing at all, handling her father’s anger with coolly controlled aplomb.

Chapter one opens three months later, and we find Abigail Prescott and her mother taking refuge from a broken-down carriage and some terrible weather at Comstock Manor, home of the Earl and Countess of Comstock. It turns out that Abigail did indeed receive – and accept – a proposal of marriage from the Duke of Danforth, but that she jilted him on their wedding day, realising she couldn’t marry a man who hadn’t spoken to her since he asked for her hand, and had shown no signs of being interested in her or of wanting to get to know her. Sadly, the weather and carriage problems aren’t the only bad news Abigail is destined to receive that day – Danforth is one of the Comstocks’ guests, and meeting him again is going to be unavoidable.

When Danforth sees Abigail again, it’s with mixed emotions – anger that she left him at the altar without explanation, but admiration and attraction, too. Realising he still wants to marry her, he determines to court her properly while they’re stuck at the mercy of the weather, and I settled in for a story of courtship and re-awakening love. But what could have been a cute and enjoyable romance took that wrong turn at Alburquerque and became a series of episodes that simply jumped from one to the next rather than giving the feel of cohesive and organic development. The characters are poorly developed and not very interesting; all we really learn about them is tied up in how they react to being gossiped about. Danforth’s famous implacability is something he’s cultivated since a young age; having grown up with a father who was constantly berating and yelling at him, he learned that the best way to do with it was simply not to react. Thus, he learned not to care what people said of him, while for Abigail, it’s the opposite; her father’s frequent drunken rages push her “to megrims and nausea” and although, like Danforth, she’s learned not to show any reaction, she detests gossip and has done everything she can to avoid it.

The other big stumbling block in the story surrounds the Big Mis I mentioned at the beginning. Early on in the story, we learn that one of the reasons Abigail jilted Danforth was because of his relationship with Lenore, who is widely presumed to be his mistress. Abigail couldn’t face the prospect of being dogged by gossip or finding herself an object of pity because her husband’s affections lay elsewhere. But – and this isn’t a spoiler because it, too, is made clear early on – Lenore isn’t Danforth’s mistress and never has been, but the pair of them encourage that perception because Danforth doesn’t care about gossip and is content for Lenore to use him as a cover for the affairs she really does have. While this was actually quite interesting, it’s problematic for a number of reasons. Firstly, Danforth and Lenore allow Abigail to continue under this misconception for almost half the book – and even when they do tell her the truth, they do it so obliquely that she still isn’t sure what to believe until well into the second half. And secondly, neither of them seems to understand (or care) that their continuing to act as they have in the past will still be a problem for Abigail if she marries Danforth; that even though Lenore isn’t Danforth’s lover, the appearance of it will still cause the sort of gossip Abigail jilted him to avoid in the first place. I thoroughly disliked both of them for being so completely wrapped up in their own concerns; when Abigail actually asks “When, precisely, will my needs take priority over hers?” Danforth still can’t see the problem and actually proves the truth of what Abigail has said by arguing with her about the need to end the charade!

There are some nice moments between Abigail and Danforth earlier in the book where they do actually talk and he’s able to show Abigail that he was never indifferent to her and begins to win her over – so well, in fact, that while her reservations about marrying Danforth don’t disappear immediately, she’s happy to have sex with him. For one thing, I couldn’t believe that a young woman so careful of her reputation would do that, and for another, there’s no real relationship development and little to no chemistry between them.

Ultimately, the bland characters, inconsistencies in the story and the sadly underdeveloped romance in The Brooding Duke of Danforth combine to make it a below average read and I can’t recommend it.

Grade: C-/2.5 stars

I was wondering why know-one had reviewed this book yet, so that did worry me a little however I must say that I did enjoy it and this is a new author for me. Yes Abigail did annoy sometimes and there were times that I was like get over it already and move on, however if you think about she was right. Danforth never spoke to her while they were engaged, was constantly out and about with his rumored mistress. Wouldn't you be upset if the ton gossiped behind your back thinking that you were going to put up with it. Abigail already suffered many embarrassing moments with the horrid father that she had, I would have ended the engagement also, but my friends all is not as seems..Enjoy!