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Royal Affair #3
The Duke's Wife
The Duchess's dilemma...Duty ruled Damiano's duty to his country, his people and his baby son, but not, Sofia thought, to his wife. She knew that her wedding to the Duke of San Rinaldo had been just a matter of convenience, but it appeared that even his old flames figured more highly than her. Now, to end the rumours about their marriage, Damiano was insisting that they convince the world that theirs was a love-match. It seemed that Sofia had got what she had always wanted - a 'devoted' husband by her side - but would this fairytale romance ever have a real happy ending?
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 22, 2018
OMG. This one was infuriating. Oink. Oink. Pig alert! Skillets at the ready!
Hero married the 19 year-old heroine at the urging of his advisers. He needed a virgin baby-making machine to perk up the kingdom after his father died. The heroine was in love with the hero, the sex was great, but then she kept hearing rumors about her husband and an OW.
Hero tells her nothing is going on, but he and the OW are still friends and he enjoys her company so the heroine can just put up with it. !!!!!!!!!!!!
Heroine is not happy, but then gets pregnant and is in a baby haze for awhile. The hero moved out of the royal bedroom after one too many fights. They have been leading separate lives for five months.
When the story opens the hero tells the heroine they must be seen in public together to thwart all the rumors about the OW. Heroine is not inclined to cooperate until the hero threatens to keep her son away from her.
Let that sink in. He repeatedly - throughout the story - even after they are sleeping together -
threatens to keep her 16 month old son away from her.
I didn't blame her - in a moment of desperation - for trying to take her son on her own to her parents. But the hero catches her because she is being watched. From then on she can only see her son with a third party present.
Nice guy - our hero.
It all comes to a head when the heroine faints from her second pregnancy while she sees the OW at the same restaurant as the hero. He explains that the OW is moving away and he won't be seeing her again. Oh, and by the way, he now he realizes what a great gal the heroine is. He's glad she's been so patient with him and now he's in love.
Okay - pull the other leg. Since the heroine is all of 23 by now, and has been drinking the Kool-aid - I guess I can't blame her for believing his avowals of love.
I, old crone that I am, have been reading romances forever, and I didn't believe a word that came out of his worthless mouth. He enjoyed having sex with a nubile teenager, and he enjoyed his relationships with the OW and wouldn't give it up. He was emotionally cheating his entire marriage. And he underscored that by publicly talking to this chick while his wife was present.
He was beyond disrespectful.
The heroine catch pitch as many tantrums as she likes in my book.
Hero married the 19 year-old heroine at the urging of his advisers. He needed a virgin baby-making machine to perk up the kingdom after his father died. The heroine was in love with the hero, the sex was great, but then she kept hearing rumors about her husband and an OW.
Hero tells her nothing is going on, but he and the OW are still friends and he enjoys her company so the heroine can just put up with it. !!!!!!!!!!!!
Heroine is not happy, but then gets pregnant and is in a baby haze for awhile. The hero moved out of the royal bedroom after one too many fights. They have been leading separate lives for five months.
When the story opens the hero tells the heroine they must be seen in public together to thwart all the rumors about the OW. Heroine is not inclined to cooperate until the hero threatens to keep her son away from her.
Let that sink in. He repeatedly - throughout the story - even after they are sleeping together -
threatens to keep her 16 month old son away from her.
I didn't blame her - in a moment of desperation - for trying to take her son on her own to her parents. But the hero catches her because she is being watched. From then on she can only see her son with a third party present.
Nice guy - our hero.
It all comes to a head when the heroine faints from her second pregnancy while she sees the OW at the same restaurant as the hero. He explains that the OW is moving away and he won't be seeing her again. Oh, and by the way, he now he realizes what a great gal the heroine is. He's glad she's been so patient with him and now he's in love.
Okay - pull the other leg. Since the heroine is all of 23 by now, and has been drinking the Kool-aid - I guess I can't blame her for believing his avowals of love.
I, old crone that I am, have been reading romances forever, and I didn't believe a word that came out of his worthless mouth. He enjoyed having sex with a nubile teenager, and he enjoyed his relationships with the OW and wouldn't give it up. He was emotionally cheating his entire marriage. And he underscored that by publicly talking to this chick while his wife was present.
He was beyond disrespectful.
The heroine catch pitch as many tantrums as she likes in my book.
October 15, 2024
SPOILERS
Contemporary "Romance"
This book is really hated on goodreads. Are readers justified feeling this way? Let's see...
Sofia was from the Dukedom of San Rinaldo. She came from a prestigious family and was secretly in love with the dashing and well mannered Damiano, the heir to the Dukedom.
At the age of 34, Damiano was crowned the Duke, San Rinaldo's head of state.
He was very popular with the people but he was unmarried with no heir and that had to be put right.
It was common knowledge that he and Lady Fiona were madly in love, having a passionate affair.
So, it was a pleasant surprise when suddenly Damiano started an intense courtship of Sofia.
Three months later, he proposed. He wanted her to be his Duchess but his proposal sounded more like an offering of a job than a proposal of marriage. No words of love.
They'd married, Damiano was a gentle and excellent lover and Sofia knew she would love him all her life. Neither of them could get enough of the other.
Many months went by and Sofia couldn't get pregnant.
Then, his mother died and that's when Sofia first heard rumours that Damiano was seeing Lady Fiona again but she ignored them and focused instead on Damiano. She was trying to please him, desperate to make him love her.
Thirteen months after their wedding, she finally became pregnant, Damiano was ecstatic and Sofia knew all was going to be right now.
She was eight months pregnant when one night Damiano failed to sleep at the palace and Sofia found a fax from Fiona saying "Thank you darling, you were great". Damiano had explained this incident to her but Sofia had doubts.
They had a son and for a few months things had calmed down, then some other incidents involving Fiona had occurred and the arguments had resumed.
More and more Damiano began to shut her out of his life, her very presence seemed to irritate him and she was constantly on the edge of tears.
The worst part of it was that they no longer even slept together.
This continued for three months when Damiano told her of his decision that they should lead separate lives.
Sofia told him "No doubt this will leave you free to spend more time with Lady Fiona".
"No doubt it will. In fact, l think you can count on it". He told her.
So she had her confession and she felt something die inside her.
For 5 months they would only communicate through their secretaries.
Three years had passed since their marriage. Sofia was now 23 and Damiano 37. Their son was 16 months old.
This is the point the book opens.
Damiano had arranged a meeting with Sofia. He told her he'd decided to review their arrangement.
They should start appearing together in public to stop the rumours about them getting a divorce and when Sofia promptly refused to do so he told her she would be barred from seeing their son until she come to her senses.
Sofia would never survive if her son were to be taken from her. She told him, he would have her cooperation.
They attended the opera and they put up the performance of a happy couple.
Sofia spotted him chatting with his mistress. She felt the blood drain from her face as even in the middle of this charade her husband was flaunting his adulterous affair.
Later on he told her that it was time to have another child and Sofia said he got a nerve to flaunt his infidelity in her face.
Damiano had regretted marrying her. He had never meant to hurt her but he thought she understood that his proposal of marriage had only been an invitation to become his consort. He had never pretended he was marrying for love.
After the death of his father he had been assailed by the demand to marry and produce an heir.
His advisers had come up with the name of 19 year old Sofia Riccione.
He was fond of her, she was young, very beautiful, healthy and had no sexual past.
He did not know she would expect some unrealistic fairy story.
His relationship with Fiona meant a lot to him and he had no intention of putting an end to it.
Sofia refused to understand and in the end he'd found the hysterical scenes unbearable.
Sexually Sofia excited him and his plan was to try for another child. Next week, when they would be in London on a formal visit.
Their visit in London had been successful.
Damiano was kind, warm and tender towards her.
He'd put all his seduction techniques to use and Sofia fell for it.
Sofia was to fly back to San Rinaldo while Damiano was to fly to Geneva on state business.
On the plane Sofia saw in the newspaper that Lady Fiona had arrived in Geneva. So that was why Damiano hadn't wanted her to join him there.
When later, Sofia confronted him over the phone he went all cold on her and offered no explanation.
He saw no point even to try and he certainly didn't intend to let it spoil his days in Geneva.
On his return back the two had become strangers again, as though London never happened.
Damiano thought he could turn back the clock to the way things had been before London but something had happened to him. He missed her dreadfully and he was trying to work out what to do about it. He did want her.
Sofia was told that Damiano wished her to accompany him to an informal dinner in town.
At dinner he told her "Sofia, l really do want to make things up to you. I am beginning to realise l've made a lot of mistakes but l'm sure it's not too late to start putting those wrongs right. Will you give me a chance even though l don't deserve it".
Sofia was not ready to give him an answer.
While Sofia was coming back from the Ladies room she saw Lady Fiona sitting at a table. Did the two had a secret appointment that night? Was he planning to take her home so he could meet up with his mistress?
She threw the content of a wine glass in his face and fainted.
After she'd been checked by a doctor at home, Damiano told her he had no idea Fiona was at the restaurant. He wanted to clear things up: Fiona was not his mistress. They were lovers in the past but it ended the day he became engaged to Sofia.
Over the years he'd continued to see Fiona but not as a lover but as a friend, a confidante.
He was not an adulterer so it didn't matter what people were saying.
Lately he'd realised that what people were saying was affecting Sofia and their marriage was suffering so after he got back from Geneva he'd stopped seeing Fiona even as a friend.
He never met with Fiona in Geneva.
He told her he loved her even though he only realised it a short while ago.
* The Hero was sleeping with the OW the three months he was courting the heroine.
* He used his son to control the heroine.
* The ow was filing an emotional void. He never tried to give this role to the heroine.
* He failed to prioritise his wife over the ow.
* The heroine might have been over dramatic, jealous and suspicious but she had a good
reason in believing he was cheating. It was all his fault.
* Heroine's outburst were the result of extreme provocation.
* He knew his relationship with the OW was ruining his marriage and tormenting the
heroine but he never cared enough to do anything about it.
* He failed to reassure the heroine. He was inconsiderate and he would go all cruel and cold
on her.
* The Hero: "My conscience was clear so l didn't need to demonstrate my fidelity".
Way to go Duke...
* In the end, he was the one who initiated a reconciliation. The ow was moving away to pursue
another love interest. Was this his reason he turned to the heroine?
I give this book 4 stars as it was super angsty. I give the Hero 0 stars.
Contemporary "Romance"
This book is really hated on goodreads. Are readers justified feeling this way? Let's see...
Sofia was from the Dukedom of San Rinaldo. She came from a prestigious family and was secretly in love with the dashing and well mannered Damiano, the heir to the Dukedom.
At the age of 34, Damiano was crowned the Duke, San Rinaldo's head of state.
He was very popular with the people but he was unmarried with no heir and that had to be put right.
It was common knowledge that he and Lady Fiona were madly in love, having a passionate affair.
So, it was a pleasant surprise when suddenly Damiano started an intense courtship of Sofia.
Three months later, he proposed. He wanted her to be his Duchess but his proposal sounded more like an offering of a job than a proposal of marriage. No words of love.
They'd married, Damiano was a gentle and excellent lover and Sofia knew she would love him all her life. Neither of them could get enough of the other.
Many months went by and Sofia couldn't get pregnant.
Then, his mother died and that's when Sofia first heard rumours that Damiano was seeing Lady Fiona again but she ignored them and focused instead on Damiano. She was trying to please him, desperate to make him love her.
Thirteen months after their wedding, she finally became pregnant, Damiano was ecstatic and Sofia knew all was going to be right now.
She was eight months pregnant when one night Damiano failed to sleep at the palace and Sofia found a fax from Fiona saying "Thank you darling, you were great". Damiano had explained this incident to her but Sofia had doubts.
They had a son and for a few months things had calmed down, then some other incidents involving Fiona had occurred and the arguments had resumed.
More and more Damiano began to shut her out of his life, her very presence seemed to irritate him and she was constantly on the edge of tears.
The worst part of it was that they no longer even slept together.
This continued for three months when Damiano told her of his decision that they should lead separate lives.
Sofia told him "No doubt this will leave you free to spend more time with Lady Fiona".
"No doubt it will. In fact, l think you can count on it". He told her.
So she had her confession and she felt something die inside her.
For 5 months they would only communicate through their secretaries.
Three years had passed since their marriage. Sofia was now 23 and Damiano 37. Their son was 16 months old.
This is the point the book opens.
Damiano had arranged a meeting with Sofia. He told her he'd decided to review their arrangement.
They should start appearing together in public to stop the rumours about them getting a divorce and when Sofia promptly refused to do so he told her she would be barred from seeing their son until she come to her senses.
Sofia would never survive if her son were to be taken from her. She told him, he would have her cooperation.
They attended the opera and they put up the performance of a happy couple.
Sofia spotted him chatting with his mistress. She felt the blood drain from her face as even in the middle of this charade her husband was flaunting his adulterous affair.
Later on he told her that it was time to have another child and Sofia said he got a nerve to flaunt his infidelity in her face.
Damiano had regretted marrying her. He had never meant to hurt her but he thought she understood that his proposal of marriage had only been an invitation to become his consort. He had never pretended he was marrying for love.
After the death of his father he had been assailed by the demand to marry and produce an heir.
His advisers had come up with the name of 19 year old Sofia Riccione.
He was fond of her, she was young, very beautiful, healthy and had no sexual past.
He did not know she would expect some unrealistic fairy story.
His relationship with Fiona meant a lot to him and he had no intention of putting an end to it.
Sofia refused to understand and in the end he'd found the hysterical scenes unbearable.
Sexually Sofia excited him and his plan was to try for another child. Next week, when they would be in London on a formal visit.
Their visit in London had been successful.
Damiano was kind, warm and tender towards her.
He'd put all his seduction techniques to use and Sofia fell for it.
Sofia was to fly back to San Rinaldo while Damiano was to fly to Geneva on state business.
On the plane Sofia saw in the newspaper that Lady Fiona had arrived in Geneva. So that was why Damiano hadn't wanted her to join him there.
When later, Sofia confronted him over the phone he went all cold on her and offered no explanation.
He saw no point even to try and he certainly didn't intend to let it spoil his days in Geneva.
On his return back the two had become strangers again, as though London never happened.
Damiano thought he could turn back the clock to the way things had been before London but something had happened to him. He missed her dreadfully and he was trying to work out what to do about it. He did want her.
Sofia was told that Damiano wished her to accompany him to an informal dinner in town.
At dinner he told her "Sofia, l really do want to make things up to you. I am beginning to realise l've made a lot of mistakes but l'm sure it's not too late to start putting those wrongs right. Will you give me a chance even though l don't deserve it".
Sofia was not ready to give him an answer.
While Sofia was coming back from the Ladies room she saw Lady Fiona sitting at a table. Did the two had a secret appointment that night? Was he planning to take her home so he could meet up with his mistress?
She threw the content of a wine glass in his face and fainted.
After she'd been checked by a doctor at home, Damiano told her he had no idea Fiona was at the restaurant. He wanted to clear things up: Fiona was not his mistress. They were lovers in the past but it ended the day he became engaged to Sofia.
Over the years he'd continued to see Fiona but not as a lover but as a friend, a confidante.
He was not an adulterer so it didn't matter what people were saying.
Lately he'd realised that what people were saying was affecting Sofia and their marriage was suffering so after he got back from Geneva he'd stopped seeing Fiona even as a friend.
He never met with Fiona in Geneva.
He told her he loved her even though he only realised it a short while ago.
* The Hero was sleeping with the OW the three months he was courting the heroine.
* He used his son to control the heroine.
* The ow was filing an emotional void. He never tried to give this role to the heroine.
* He failed to prioritise his wife over the ow.
* The heroine might have been over dramatic, jealous and suspicious but she had a good
reason in believing he was cheating. It was all his fault.
* Heroine's outburst were the result of extreme provocation.
* He knew his relationship with the OW was ruining his marriage and tormenting the
heroine but he never cared enough to do anything about it.
* He failed to reassure the heroine. He was inconsiderate and he would go all cruel and cold
on her.
* The Hero: "My conscience was clear so l didn't need to demonstrate my fidelity".
Way to go Duke...
* In the end, he was the one who initiated a reconciliation. The ow was moving away to pursue
another love interest. Was this his reason he turned to the heroine?
I give this book 4 stars as it was super angsty. I give the Hero 0 stars.
December 26, 2020
There's no point to repeating what StM has written in her excellent review, so I'm just going to note a few irritants I wasn't expecting in this book:
1. The heroine is a tantrum-throwing machine. I expected the emotionally vacant hero's monstrous selfishness, but where I would usually sympathize with the heroine in these situations, I couldn't because she came across as emotionally unbalanced. There's a flashback to the devastating scene that precipitated their break, in which the heroine, convinced her husband has been out late with the OW, greets him with claws and fists and screeches, then -- after he freezes her out and says he will no longer tolerate her childish tantrums -- she goes crawling to him, begging him to forgive her and attempting to seduce him. Emotional whiplash. In an early scene, when she thinks this monster may have followed through on his threat to take her child away from her if she doesn't cooperate with his plan to convince the duchy that their marriage is strong, she races to the nursery in emotional distress and has hysterics over the toddler. Honestly, her demonstrated lack of self-control scared me, and it continued through the penultimate scene in the book, when she fabricates an assignation between her husband and the OW and throws a glass of wine in his face before fainting.
2. After that scene, the OW calls the duke to express her concern that seeing her may have distressed his wife. I hate OW intervention to begin with, but it's made worse when the husband stands up for the OW, telling his wife that "she was concerned" and "she's really not the enemy you seem to think she is." Stop telling your wife her feelings are invalid, douchebag. (Seriously, was this book written by Camilla Parker Bowles? What the heck?)
3. The relationship with the OW, for which our narcissist never expresses remorse, is outright emotional infidelity.
There's just so much in these two quotes to unpack. His complete lack of consideration for his wife in the first. This isn't about "palace gossip," jerkwad, it's about her feelings and your prioritizing another woman above your marriage. And "ended the day I became engaged to you" in the second? I cannot erase from my mind the idea of him having sex with the OW the night before he proposed to the 19-year-old virgin. He. Is. Awful.
And in case you were in any doubt whether this supposedly platonic friendship encroached on his marital relationship: after the duke reveals the OW is leaving him for some Frenchman and the heroine asks if he'll miss her, he replies, "I won't miss her at all. I have no reason to miss her any more. ... I have you, and the more I get to know you, the more I realise you're all I'll ever need."
So, yeah, his "confidante" was filling an emotional role he has now graciously decided his wife can handle. I may have just gagged a little.
1. The heroine is a tantrum-throwing machine. I expected the emotionally vacant hero's monstrous selfishness, but where I would usually sympathize with the heroine in these situations, I couldn't because she came across as emotionally unbalanced. There's a flashback to the devastating scene that precipitated their break, in which the heroine, convinced her husband has been out late with the OW, greets him with claws and fists and screeches, then -- after he freezes her out and says he will no longer tolerate her childish tantrums -- she goes crawling to him, begging him to forgive her and attempting to seduce him. Emotional whiplash. In an early scene, when she thinks this monster may have followed through on his threat to take her child away from her if she doesn't cooperate with his plan to convince the duchy that their marriage is strong, she races to the nursery in emotional distress and has hysterics over the toddler. Honestly, her demonstrated lack of self-control scared me, and it continued through the penultimate scene in the book, when she fabricates an assignation between her husband and the OW and throws a glass of wine in his face before fainting.
2. After that scene, the OW calls the duke to express her concern that seeing her may have distressed his wife. I hate OW intervention to begin with, but it's made worse when the husband stands up for the OW, telling his wife that "she was concerned" and "she's really not the enemy you seem to think she is." Stop telling your wife her feelings are invalid, douchebag. (Seriously, was this book written by Camilla Parker Bowles? What the heck?)
3. The relationship with the OW, for which our narcissist never expresses remorse, is outright emotional infidelity.
He had tried at least a thousand times to make Sofia understand what that relationship meant to him--for it was a relationship he had no intention of putting an end to just because it stirred a bit of palace gossip. (chapter 4)
"Fiona and I were lovers once, but that all ended four years ago. It ended the day I became engaged to you. I don't deny that, over the years, I've continued to see her from time to time. But not as a lover. As a friend. As a confidante." (chapter 9)
There's just so much in these two quotes to unpack. His complete lack of consideration for his wife in the first. This isn't about "palace gossip," jerkwad, it's about her feelings and your prioritizing another woman above your marriage. And "ended the day I became engaged to you" in the second? I cannot erase from my mind the idea of him having sex with the OW the night before he proposed to the 19-year-old virgin. He. Is. Awful.
And in case you were in any doubt whether this supposedly platonic friendship encroached on his marital relationship: after the duke reveals the OW is leaving him for some Frenchman and the heroine asks if he'll miss her, he replies, "I won't miss her at all. I have no reason to miss her any more. ... I have you, and the more I get to know you, the more I realise you're all I'll ever need."
So, yeah, his "confidante" was filling an emotional role he has now graciously decided his wife can handle. I may have just gagged a little.
October 10, 2021
What a waste of my time.
And I can’t even say that I wasn’t warned…
This was bad, all bad.
Shallow way to deal with issues.
Several inconsistencies.
One of the worst couple of characters of all the times.
The hero marries the heroine because she was a suitable bride material, he kept seeing his mistress after the wedding.
Where did I hear a similar story? … Ahem… cough cough…
In the beginning all seems to be ok, their second life if wonderful but as soon as she’s pregnant he doesn’t seem to be so eager for sex.
Then there are rumors of him seeing his (ex?) mistress again.
He never denies or explains.
She’s an awful heroine, who shouts and throws tantrum each time she sees ow, even if they don’t do anything more that speak in public.
Then they quarrel again and again and eventually he tells her it’s better if they lead separate lives.
But after some months he asks her to play happy couple in public and to have another child.
When she refuses he threatens to keep their child from her.
She accepts reluctantly, and then suddenly he’s all sweet and seductive and he wants their marriage to work.
Ow is always on the side though and until the end there’s this thing- her shouting and accusing, him never explaining and threatening with their child- and I really wanted to take their heads and bang them into one another’s- maybe one of them would have turned out saner.
The book was a mess.
Some things are never explained, here’s the list:
The threats he made about their child were awful and abominable: he never apologized for them.
He didn’t love her in the beginning, he loved her after he understood she was more mature, from a couple of hours their spent together. Really???
They had wonderful sex in the beginning but after she got pregnant he became cold and then after their child was born there was not sex at all. Why?
He only was interested in sex when he asked her to have another child. Isn’t it romantic?
Ow was only his friend. Yeah right.
And anyway, even if she were, his first duty was for his wife and since he insisted very much on what his duty was, he should have understood that his relationship with ow was ruining his marriage and he should have ended it.
But obviously this didn’t matter to him at all.
The heroine was a poor demented woman, obsessed with jealousy and ready to misunderstand all she saw or heard. And she forgave him all kind of cruelty. She should have gone to the press and have denounced his abuses. See if he could keep the child from her. I don’t think so.
Anyway this is one of the worst heroes I’ve found in romance and the HEA was unbelievable and messed too.
I didn’t feel any love from him, it was all about him and him alone.
He used emotional blackmail of the worst kind: to take a child away from his mother.
I think this is not forgivable and the man is not redeemable.
I don’t think I can save anything at all if this book.
And I can’t even say that I wasn’t warned…
This was bad, all bad.
Shallow way to deal with issues.
Several inconsistencies.
One of the worst couple of characters of all the times.
The hero marries the heroine because she was a suitable bride material, he kept seeing his mistress after the wedding.
Where did I hear a similar story? … Ahem… cough cough…
In the beginning all seems to be ok, their second life if wonderful but as soon as she’s pregnant he doesn’t seem to be so eager for sex.
Then there are rumors of him seeing his (ex?) mistress again.
He never denies or explains.
She’s an awful heroine, who shouts and throws tantrum each time she sees ow, even if they don’t do anything more that speak in public.
Then they quarrel again and again and eventually he tells her it’s better if they lead separate lives.
But after some months he asks her to play happy couple in public and to have another child.
When she refuses he threatens to keep their child from her.
She accepts reluctantly, and then suddenly he’s all sweet and seductive and he wants their marriage to work.
Ow is always on the side though and until the end there’s this thing- her shouting and accusing, him never explaining and threatening with their child- and I really wanted to take their heads and bang them into one another’s- maybe one of them would have turned out saner.
The book was a mess.
Some things are never explained, here’s the list:
The threats he made about their child were awful and abominable: he never apologized for them.
He didn’t love her in the beginning, he loved her after he understood she was more mature, from a couple of hours their spent together. Really???
They had wonderful sex in the beginning but after she got pregnant he became cold and then after their child was born there was not sex at all. Why?
He only was interested in sex when he asked her to have another child. Isn’t it romantic?
Ow was only his friend. Yeah right.
And anyway, even if she were, his first duty was for his wife and since he insisted very much on what his duty was, he should have understood that his relationship with ow was ruining his marriage and he should have ended it.
But obviously this didn’t matter to him at all.
The heroine was a poor demented woman, obsessed with jealousy and ready to misunderstand all she saw or heard. And she forgave him all kind of cruelty. She should have gone to the press and have denounced his abuses. See if he could keep the child from her. I don’t think so.
Anyway this is one of the worst heroes I’ve found in romance and the HEA was unbelievable and messed too.
I didn’t feel any love from him, it was all about him and him alone.
He used emotional blackmail of the worst kind: to take a child away from his mother.
I think this is not forgivable and the man is not redeemable.
I don’t think I can save anything at all if this book.
April 16, 2026
4/15/26
I can't believe I bought this book and,read it again. It made me sick and I totally hated the hero. He totally cheated. His thoughts about his wife were disgusting. Just a terrible hero. I am so mad I didn't look here before I bought it. It was terrible.
10/10/22
This guy was an ass. I can't believe how awful he was to heroine. He said he broke up with his love Fiona once he was engaged, so that means when he was courting her, he was still sleeping with the ho! How nice and then when he decided to live separate lives, he told her he would be seeing more of Fiona. I just can't believe him when he says they were just friends. And I don't blame the heroine for not believing him either. And I don't think she was immature, I think she was freaking jealous and heartbroken. And I didn't blame her. He was an inconsiderate jerk. I really hated him and then he tells her they were just friends and the book is over and she has another baby. I burned this book in my backyard. Wine may have been involved!
I can't believe I bought this book and,read it again. It made me sick and I totally hated the hero. He totally cheated. His thoughts about his wife were disgusting. Just a terrible hero. I am so mad I didn't look here before I bought it. It was terrible.
10/10/22
This guy was an ass. I can't believe how awful he was to heroine. He said he broke up with his love Fiona once he was engaged, so that means when he was courting her, he was still sleeping with the ho! How nice and then when he decided to live separate lives, he told her he would be seeing more of Fiona. I just can't believe him when he says they were just friends. And I don't blame the heroine for not believing him either. And I don't think she was immature, I think she was freaking jealous and heartbroken. And I didn't blame her. He was an inconsiderate jerk. I really hated him and then he tells her they were just friends and the book is over and she has another baby. I burned this book in my backyard. Wine may have been involved!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2016
This is an older Sweet Cherish book I picked up because I love a marriage in trouble trope. This is the third in a series about a Royal family in a small Dukedom somewhere in Europe. Sofia was the arranged bride for the Duke. Damiano had to take the throne after the sudden death of his father and it was important he marry and produce an heir. Sofia was a friend of his sister's and he'd known her for years so when she was put forward as his wife, he thought it would be a good match even without love.
Unfortunately Sofia is madly in love with Damiano and his good manners didn't allow her to see until too late that he had no feeling for her except as a dutiful wife and the mother of his heirs. Even before the birth of Allessandro, their son, trouble reared it's ugly head. Rumour had it that Damiano was consorting with his former mistress and while he dismissed Sofia's accusations at the time, he made no attempt to change his behaviour so it was only a matter of time before they became estranged.
This is where the story begins. The estrangement between the Duke and his wife has become a matter of concern to the people and Damiano has decided that it's time for Sofia to shape up and put the rumours to rest. This is where things get ugly. Obsessed with forcing Sofia to do her duty, he does a number of things that are cruel and only succeeds in driving her further away. Especially as he still has not done anything about clearing the air about his former mistress.
This got to be quite an emotional read at times. Sofia might have been young and hysterical and acted immaturely at times, but she was absolutely correct that he didn't love her when they married so I can understand why she felt so betrayed and out of control.
Damiano takes a while to redeem himself. But this is a romance so we get the obligatory happy ever after. There is an epilogue which ties up all three stories nicely. It didn't bother me that I hadn't read the other two.
Unfortunately Sofia is madly in love with Damiano and his good manners didn't allow her to see until too late that he had no feeling for her except as a dutiful wife and the mother of his heirs. Even before the birth of Allessandro, their son, trouble reared it's ugly head. Rumour had it that Damiano was consorting with his former mistress and while he dismissed Sofia's accusations at the time, he made no attempt to change his behaviour so it was only a matter of time before they became estranged.
This is where the story begins. The estrangement between the Duke and his wife has become a matter of concern to the people and Damiano has decided that it's time for Sofia to shape up and put the rumours to rest. This is where things get ugly. Obsessed with forcing Sofia to do her duty, he does a number of things that are cruel and only succeeds in driving her further away. Especially as he still has not done anything about clearing the air about his former mistress.
This got to be quite an emotional read at times. Sofia might have been young and hysterical and acted immaturely at times, but she was absolutely correct that he didn't love her when they married so I can understand why she felt so betrayed and out of control.
Damiano takes a while to redeem himself. But this is a romance so we get the obligatory happy ever after. There is an epilogue which ties up all three stories nicely. It didn't bother me that I hadn't read the other two.
October 8, 2021
Everyone was right.
I want to bitch and rant but my blood pressure…all I gotta say is, I wish doormats would stop writing romance novels.
What’s it about:
She loved him always, he loved someone else + they marry moc + H Cheater + doormat wife + blackmails doormat + doormat with uncontrollable body part + more cheating + doormat forgives all after 1 sentence numerous times!
Lots of misunderstanding.
I want to bitch and rant but my blood pressure…all I gotta say is, I wish doormats would stop writing romance novels.
What’s it about:
She loved him always, he loved someone else + they marry moc + H Cheater + doormat wife + blackmails doormat + doormat with uncontrollable body part + more cheating + doormat forgives all after 1 sentence numerous times!
Lots of misunderstanding.
December 28, 2020
This was a how bad could it be book. I'm not committed to 2 ⭐ I didn't hate it, she's immature and he's an ass particularly as he uses their child as a way to control her.
November 14, 2019
3.5 stars
This is what I call and angsty romance - an unrequited love/marriage of convenience story.
The hero behaves like a ruthless "royal" businessman for most of the book but nevertheless I was fascinated and could not stop read it
A married couple romance with pain/misunderstanding/blackmail/guilty sexual attraction between an aristocratic hero and a sweet and hopelessly in love heroine.
She tries to leave him but there's a son between them and maybe even more than convenience.... nothing new but worth a read.
This is what I call and angsty romance - an unrequited love/marriage of convenience story.
The hero behaves like a ruthless "royal" businessman for most of the book but nevertheless I was fascinated and could not stop read it
A married couple romance with pain/misunderstanding/blackmail/guilty sexual attraction between an aristocratic hero and a sweet and hopelessly in love heroine.
She tries to leave him but there's a son between them and maybe even more than convenience.... nothing new but worth a read.
September 16, 2017
He doesn't cheat but he is selfish, arrogant and emotionally abusive until he realises her worth.
She believes he is cheating with an ex mistress and there is a good reasoning behind it but rather than explain properly he allows her to believe it even though it hurts her deeply.
He uses their child to blackmail her.
I would have liked more redemption if he is going to be so awful.
She believes he is cheating with an ex mistress and there is a good reasoning behind it but rather than explain properly he allows her to believe it even though it hurts her deeply.
He uses their child to blackmail her.
I would have liked more redemption if he is going to be so awful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2023
Princess Diana’s story but with a happy ending.
I recently watched the Netflix series, The Crown-Season 5 which is about Diana and Charles’ relationship. I was enthralled. It made me crave a similar story but with a HEA, of course. I found the perfect one by happy accident. I just so happen to see this one on the Goodreads update feed and as a fan of Harlequin Romance, I couldn't resist clicking on the title. Great timing. The Duke’s Wife drew me in from the first page. The angst dripped from the pages. This is why I love marriage in trouble stories. You don't have to wait long before getting to the juicy stuff.
Damiano was an asshole but the kind I enjoy reading. He evoked that complicated love-and-hate emotion that I find particularly fascinating. His arrogant authority, his callous indifference, his alphaness—right up my alley, Sir. I understand why some readers loathed him, but he worked for me.
I’m not giving it 5 Stars because it felt like his treatment of Sofia changed too quickly and too drastically. That part didn’t quite feel authentic. The very last part of the book felt rushed. And maybe Sofia was too immature but it wasn't a deal breaker for me. I felt bad for her even when her behavior made me shake my head.
Note to Self:
This is the one where the hero threatens the heroine with taking their child away from her if she doesn't cooperate with his demands.
Cheating: perceived only; she believes he's having an affair and in love with OW
I recently watched the Netflix series, The Crown-Season 5 which is about Diana and Charles’ relationship. I was enthralled. It made me crave a similar story but with a HEA, of course. I found the perfect one by happy accident. I just so happen to see this one on the Goodreads update feed and as a fan of Harlequin Romance, I couldn't resist clicking on the title. Great timing. The Duke’s Wife drew me in from the first page. The angst dripped from the pages. This is why I love marriage in trouble stories. You don't have to wait long before getting to the juicy stuff.
Damiano was an asshole but the kind I enjoy reading. He evoked that complicated love-and-hate emotion that I find particularly fascinating. His arrogant authority, his callous indifference, his alphaness—right up my alley, Sir. I understand why some readers loathed him, but he worked for me.
I’m not giving it 5 Stars because it felt like his treatment of Sofia changed too quickly and too drastically. That part didn’t quite feel authentic. The very last part of the book felt rushed. And maybe Sofia was too immature but it wasn't a deal breaker for me. I felt bad for her even when her behavior made me shake my head.
Note to Self:
This is the one where the hero threatens the heroine with taking their child away from her if she doesn't cooperate with his demands.
Cheating: perceived only; she believes he's having an affair and in love with OW
September 18, 2023
The Duke's Wife
This story was well done for the time it was written. So close to another royal family with paramour that it was too close. I was glad to know both POVs were done so the reader was given a glimpse of his character.
This story was well done for the time it was written. So close to another royal family with paramour that it was too close. I was glad to know both POVs were done so the reader was given a glimpse of his character.
January 2, 2024
The h really let the H walk right over her time and time again. I don’t think there are many women who would be comfortable with their husband hanging out with his ex-girlfriend and confounding in her more than in his own wife. It really felt like the H just wanted any excuse to give up on the marriage with the h.
“You don’t believe me when I tell you that she is only a friend even thought many people believe she is my mistress. How can you believe all these rumors and not me even though I never try to explain myself clearly and talk down to you most of the time?” What a joke 🫠
Also in my eyes the marriage and any tender feelings towards him would be over the first time he threatened to not let her see her child again if she didn’t do what he said. And if it didn’t end there then definitely when he actually followed through with the threat and took away her access to her son. Like how the hell was she able to still love him after that???? The heroine really had no self respect😐.
“You don’t believe me when I tell you that she is only a friend even thought many people believe she is my mistress. How can you believe all these rumors and not me even though I never try to explain myself clearly and talk down to you most of the time?” What a joke 🫠
Also in my eyes the marriage and any tender feelings towards him would be over the first time he threatened to not let her see her child again if she didn’t do what he said. And if it didn’t end there then definitely when he actually followed through with the threat and took away her access to her son. Like how the hell was she able to still love him after that???? The heroine really had no self respect😐.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2018
I wanted this book to turn into something more. It never did. Why did the hero wait SOOOOOOO long to tell the heroine the truth? That just made him stupid and completely thoughtless. I could forgive the heroine more because she was very young when she married the hero that she couldn't reach rationally or express her self in a dignified way. One HUGE thing that was shoved under the rug, even though it was brought up every other chapter, was the hero blackmailing the heroine. And when that comes to a head, he treats her horribly and ditches her. There is even a line of her thinking she doesn't love him because of how he reacted in that moment buuuuuut it is literally forgotten 3 pages later....bad ending.
August 4, 2019
A picture of me reading this book.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/im...
A man that threatens his wife with never seeing her child instead of talking like an adult. I’m supposed to swoon over this? LOL! Sir why didn’t you tell your wife that you weren’t cheating? “My conscience was clear so I didn’t need to demonstrate my fidelity”. For 3 years? Not even when she was pregnant and worried herself sick over it? Can somebody yeet this hero off the planet! I like a good marriage in trouble trope but nope, this book just gave me Stockholm vibes. Two stars because I did this to myself.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/im...
A man that threatens his wife with never seeing her child instead of talking like an adult. I’m supposed to swoon over this? LOL! Sir why didn’t you tell your wife that you weren’t cheating? “My conscience was clear so I didn’t need to demonstrate my fidelity”. For 3 years? Not even when she was pregnant and worried herself sick over it? Can somebody yeet this hero off the planet! I like a good marriage in trouble trope but nope, this book just gave me Stockholm vibes. Two stars because I did this to myself.
January 10, 2016
I was so excited to red this novel and it was good , i don't like how she surrender so fast
and in glimes the story turn up that always shock me ! Dominic was so arrogant ... read and see.
and in glimes the story turn up that always shock me ! Dominic was so arrogant ... read and see.
June 10, 2018
4 Stars
4 Stars! I liked this book. If you like the old school harlequins with the jerk H and h that is weak and finally grows up than this is a good book for you.
4 Stars! I liked this book. If you like the old school harlequins with the jerk H and h that is weak and finally grows up than this is a good book for you.
December 6, 2023
Although the Hero explained everything between him and the OW, i still don't believe it. H wasn't in love with the h until towards the end of the book, so how do we really know if he never cheated? He says nothing really happened between him and OW after he got married, but why would he still spend time with her knowing how it would look? I know he says he wasn't worried about what people were saying, because he knew the truth, but hes royalty?!? If you're royalty, aren't you supposed to keep a certain image? And continuing to spend time with the OW after he got married, just says more about him than anything regarding his relationship with OW. Man wanted the cake and eat it too i bet. He probably just lied to the h saying all that stuff in the end so she could drop it. Don't get me started on the h. i know she was really young, but my god, get a backbone.
February 12, 2020
Juste OK pour un jour bloquée sur le divan par un plâtre.
October 25, 2022
Not an enjoyable read for me.
March 10, 2023
Koninklijke nachten
January 26, 2024
In as much as I don't like how Damiano started off with Sophia I still love for the fact that she was patience and optimistic that he will give her the love she ever wanted.
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March 6, 2024Old books
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October 16, 2024Um livro como esse só reforça o quanto eu desprezo duques, condes, príncipes, etc. Lixo
July 30, 2025
This one made my eye twitch.
September 16, 2025
Second reading. Much more satisfying. The only change I would make is a little more clarification or revealing of the hero's relationship with Fiona. His haughtiness to think he could keep her as a friend and continue to confide in her instead of his wife and then patronizing her wasn't really taken care of. The damage that did was worse than had he had an affair with her and yet it was seemingly glossed over, making sure that at least he had not been unfaithful.
First reading: A HQ for sure. It was very good. The jealous, insecure little girl grew up and the arrogant aristocrat softened up. What appeals to me is a woman with a little more strength of character that would evolve and it didn't evolve enough for me to really empathize with her. Not what I was anticipating, and it didn't have that swoony, angsty edge because I wouldn't put up with her jealousies either. But the H never clearly rectified things with her because he was too prideful to submit to what was really needed. But alas, a HEA!
First reading: A HQ for sure. It was very good. The jealous, insecure little girl grew up and the arrogant aristocrat softened up. What appeals to me is a woman with a little more strength of character that would evolve and it didn't evolve enough for me to really empathize with her. Not what I was anticipating, and it didn't have that swoony, angsty edge because I wouldn't put up with her jealousies either. But the H never clearly rectified things with her because he was too prideful to submit to what was really needed. But alas, a HEA!
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