What do you think?
Rate this book
The Grantham Girls #1
A Duchess in Name
Victoria Carson never expected love. An American heiress and graduate of Lady Grantham's finishing school, she's been groomed since birth to marry an English title—the grander the better. So when the man chosen for her, the forbidding Earl of Dunnley, seems to hate her on sight, she understands that it can't matter. Love can have no place in this arrangement.
Andrew Hargrave has little use for his title and even less for his cold, disinterested parents. Determined to make his own way, he's devoted to his life in Italy working as an archaeologist. Until the collapse of his family's fortune drags him back to England to a marriage he never wanted and a woman he doesn't care to know.
Wild attraction is an unwanted complication for them both, though it forms the most fragile of bonds. Their marriage of convenience isn't so intolerable after all—but it may not be enough when the deception that bound them is finally revealed.
Andrew Hargrave has little use for his title and even less for his cold, disinterested parents. Determined to make his own way, he's devoted to his life in Italy working as an archaeologist. Until the collapse of his family's fortune drags him back to England to a marriage he never wanted and a woman he doesn't care to know.
Wild attraction is an unwanted complication for them both, though it forms the most fragile of bonds. Their marriage of convenience isn't so intolerable after all—but it may not be enough when the deception that bound them is finally revealed.
237 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 18, 2016
145 people are currently reading
1290 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Weaver
14 books485 followersAmanda has loved romance since she read that very first Kathleen E. Woodiwiss novel at fifteen. After a long detour into a career as a costume designer in theatre, she’s found her way back to romance, this time as a writer.
A native Floridian, Amanda transplanted to New York City many years ago and now considers Brooklyn home, along with her husband, daughter, two cats, and nowhere near enough space.
A native Floridian, Amanda transplanted to New York City many years ago and now considers Brooklyn home, along with her husband, daughter, two cats, and nowhere near enough space.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews
September 20, 2020
Beta bustard sighted!
I wanted to hate the H but really couldn’t despite some of his actions that warrant it, but neither could I like him. I just wish he had worked harder for his redemption. The h is wonderful and certainly deserved better or didn’t deserve the way he treated her for all the presumed wrongs he laid at her feet. Still, the dynamics of their relationship are absorbing including the (usual) things keeping them apart - her cultured aloofness, his false grievances and then her determination to protect her heart. But they do work to revive their marriage, first her and then him when he realizes his mistake and her worth.
I wanted to hate the H but really couldn’t despite some of his actions that warrant it, but neither could I like him. I just wish he had worked harder for his redemption. The h is wonderful and certainly deserved better or didn’t deserve the way he treated her for all the presumed wrongs he laid at her feet. Still, the dynamics of their relationship are absorbing including the (usual) things keeping them apart - her cultured aloofness, his false grievances and then her determination to protect her heart. But they do work to revive their marriage, first her and then him when he realizes his mistake and her worth.
December 3, 2016
**I received an eARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
**WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD**
2.5 stars, rounded up and that's only because it is very well written.
I had a really hard time with this book. This was new author for me and while I found her writing style wonderful - the story itself was not to my liking.
I didn't like the "hero" Andrew - I found his character to be totally unbelievable. He is supposed to be an archeologist - I take that to be someone who deals in facts - someone who doesn't rush to judgment without gleaning all the available information and considering all the facts before proclaiming something. This man heard a rumor and made an assumption, did a tiny bit of research and NEVER asked the heroine any questions - he believed he knew he was right based on a rumor. Even if that was his only shortcoming - and trust me it wasn't - I am not sure I would have liked him. Not only was he a total jerk to Victoria from basically the moment he met her. He abandoned her right after the wedding night and basically ignored her for the next year - all the while living in Italy with another woman. That's right - he had a mistress before he met Victoria and went right back to her after he became betrothed and continued to live with her after he was married. This is a HUGE turnoff for me - if I had known the book had adultery - I would have NEVER requested it. If I had bought the book, I would have returned it unfinished. The only reason I finished this book is because it was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
I truly couldn't get past this -I know this doesn't bother every reader and this is my personal opinion. I believe the author did a good job trying to excuse Andrew - but for me there is no excuse for adultery - None. I hated him. I hated him for assuming Victoria was involved with her father's schemes - without one shred of evidence to support that theory and I hated him for running back to Luciana (the mistress) and ignoring Victoria's letters. He does finally (a year and a half after they marry) go back to England to try and set things right between them. But it killed me that he did it at his mistress' urging and there is also the little fact that SHE ended things with him - He didn't have an epiphany and end things with her so he could go to Victoria - She told him she was leaving him and he should go back to his wife.
Once he gets back to England, he does make a sincere effort to make things right with Victoria and I never once doubted that he loved his sisters - but I didn't believe he really cared about Victoria - he has seen her twice in a year and a half - has never responded to her letters, has carried on with another woman and now that she left him, I am supposed to believe that he has really cared about Victoria all along? Really?
I didn't blame Victoria one bit for the way she treated him upon his return - I mean the guy doesn't exactly have a good track record for sticking around, he doesn't communicate at all and the two times she has seen him - he as been nasty to her and taken off with barely a word. And this is without knowing about the mistress or his "reason" for hating her. Victoria has been groomed all her life to be a wife of a titled man - she has never expected love or even happiness. When Andrew abandoned her the day after their wedding, she tries to make the best of things. I liked her a lot. She isn't perfect - she admits she is out of her depth with the estate and asks for help. She continues to send him letters, even though he never responds. She is kind to his sisters and his tenants. She is a warm, loving generous person - who in my opinion deserves better than Andrew.
She doesn't trust Andrew when he returns and does her best to keep him at arms length - but he worms his way back into her heart. They form a fragile bond and then Andrew is called back to Italy. While he is gone - she finds out about Luciana and is devastated. Later she finds out what her father and mother did to secure her marriage to Andrew. She is truly horrified and decides to end her marriage - so poor Andrew can be happy - gag me! She falls ill and is on deaths door - her friend Gen summons Andrew back from Italy and tells him that Victoria has learned everything - he declares that everything is over with the other woman and that he doesn't care that her family manipulated their marriage - that all he cares about is Victoria (me, gagging again).
Victoria still feverish and very ill wakes and "knows" that Andrew is there and feels the need to make things right for him (honestly, I am wondering how I am going to be able to finish this book without breaking my kindle). He can't believe that he might lose her, just when he realizes that he can't live without her (me gagging and rolling my eyes).
Of course they work every thing out and exchange sickeningly sweet declarations of love - I just didn't feel it - I know I am the minority here and I am sure my bias about adultery ruined this book for me.
In defense of the author - this book was very well written and flowed extremely well. I think if the adultery was left out, I probably would have given this book a 4 star rating. Even though I did not enjoy this book, I would be more than willing to read future works by this author and I would recommend her to my friends - after I let them know about the adultery. If that sort of thing doesn't bother you - you will probably really like this book - if like me, it upsets you, I would say pass on this book, but not the author!
**WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD**
2.5 stars, rounded up and that's only because it is very well written.
I had a really hard time with this book. This was new author for me and while I found her writing style wonderful - the story itself was not to my liking.
I didn't like the "hero" Andrew - I found his character to be totally unbelievable. He is supposed to be an archeologist - I take that to be someone who deals in facts - someone who doesn't rush to judgment without gleaning all the available information and considering all the facts before proclaiming something. This man heard a rumor and made an assumption, did a tiny bit of research and NEVER asked the heroine any questions - he believed he knew he was right based on a rumor. Even if that was his only shortcoming - and trust me it wasn't - I am not sure I would have liked him. Not only was he a total jerk to Victoria from basically the moment he met her. He abandoned her right after the wedding night and basically ignored her for the next year - all the while living in Italy with another woman. That's right - he had a mistress before he met Victoria and went right back to her after he became betrothed and continued to live with her after he was married. This is a HUGE turnoff for me - if I had known the book had adultery - I would have NEVER requested it. If I had bought the book, I would have returned it unfinished. The only reason I finished this book is because it was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
I truly couldn't get past this -I know this doesn't bother every reader and this is my personal opinion. I believe the author did a good job trying to excuse Andrew - but for me there is no excuse for adultery - None. I hated him. I hated him for assuming Victoria was involved with her father's schemes - without one shred of evidence to support that theory and I hated him for running back to Luciana (the mistress) and ignoring Victoria's letters. He does finally (a year and a half after they marry) go back to England to try and set things right between them. But it killed me that he did it at his mistress' urging and there is also the little fact that SHE ended things with him - He didn't have an epiphany and end things with her so he could go to Victoria - She told him she was leaving him and he should go back to his wife.
Once he gets back to England, he does make a sincere effort to make things right with Victoria and I never once doubted that he loved his sisters - but I didn't believe he really cared about Victoria - he has seen her twice in a year and a half - has never responded to her letters, has carried on with another woman and now that she left him, I am supposed to believe that he has really cared about Victoria all along? Really?
I didn't blame Victoria one bit for the way she treated him upon his return - I mean the guy doesn't exactly have a good track record for sticking around, he doesn't communicate at all and the two times she has seen him - he as been nasty to her and taken off with barely a word. And this is without knowing about the mistress or his "reason" for hating her. Victoria has been groomed all her life to be a wife of a titled man - she has never expected love or even happiness. When Andrew abandoned her the day after their wedding, she tries to make the best of things. I liked her a lot. She isn't perfect - she admits she is out of her depth with the estate and asks for help. She continues to send him letters, even though he never responds. She is kind to his sisters and his tenants. She is a warm, loving generous person - who in my opinion deserves better than Andrew.
She doesn't trust Andrew when he returns and does her best to keep him at arms length - but he worms his way back into her heart. They form a fragile bond and then Andrew is called back to Italy. While he is gone - she finds out about Luciana and is devastated. Later she finds out what her father and mother did to secure her marriage to Andrew. She is truly horrified and decides to end her marriage - so poor Andrew can be happy - gag me! She falls ill and is on deaths door - her friend Gen summons Andrew back from Italy and tells him that Victoria has learned everything - he declares that everything is over with the other woman and that he doesn't care that her family manipulated their marriage - that all he cares about is Victoria (me, gagging again).
Victoria still feverish and very ill wakes and "knows" that Andrew is there and feels the need to make things right for him (honestly, I am wondering how I am going to be able to finish this book without breaking my kindle). He can't believe that he might lose her, just when he realizes that he can't live without her (me gagging and rolling my eyes).
Of course they work every thing out and exchange sickeningly sweet declarations of love - I just didn't feel it - I know I am the minority here and I am sure my bias about adultery ruined this book for me.
In defense of the author - this book was very well written and flowed extremely well. I think if the adultery was left out, I probably would have given this book a 4 star rating. Even though I did not enjoy this book, I would be more than willing to read future works by this author and I would recommend her to my friends - after I let them know about the adultery. If that sort of thing doesn't bother you - you will probably really like this book - if like me, it upsets you, I would say pass on this book, but not the author!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2020
Very well written Victorian era MOC romance where the heroine has a spine of steel and graciously takes on her new husband’s derelict estate and two sisters. Then there is the hero. What a pity-partying whiner. I HATED him.
The H only agrees to marry in order to save his little sisters as he despises his parents. Too bad he’s more like his parents than he could ever imagine.
A slow romance develops until the H figures just how really complicit his social climbing American heiress was plotting with her father to ruin the H’s father. No. She wasn't, but it makes him feel better so he can sulk. Given the era, and the fact that none of the women have any power but social power it’s hard to believe he’s stupid enough to think she’s an evil mastermind, but he does.
After some very poor form by the H, he goes back to his Etruscan dig and his MISTRESS to whine some more. We then have the unsettling and not really needed scenes where the mistress tries to open his eyes to his wife.
He comes back to the estate then ditches the h again. At this point she’s had it. He gets miffed when she stops her warm and informative letters and decides it’s time to man up and go home for good.
The heroine does make him work for it, but he is a worm of the lowest order.
In addition to these two, there are the sweet little sisters, the h’s overbearing, social climbing mother, the H’s awful parents, and a couple of bitter debutantes that need a public Cut Direct.
The H only agrees to marry in order to save his little sisters as he despises his parents. Too bad he’s more like his parents than he could ever imagine.
A slow romance develops until the H figures just how really complicit his social climbing American heiress was plotting with her father to ruin the H’s father. No. She wasn't, but it makes him feel better so he can sulk. Given the era, and the fact that none of the women have any power but social power it’s hard to believe he’s stupid enough to think she’s an evil mastermind, but he does.
After some very poor form by the H, he goes back to his Etruscan dig and his MISTRESS to whine some more. We then have the unsettling and not really needed scenes where the mistress tries to open his eyes to his wife.
He comes back to the estate then ditches the h again. At this point she’s had it. He gets miffed when she stops her warm and informative letters and decides it’s time to man up and go home for good.
The heroine does make him work for it, but he is a worm of the lowest order.
In addition to these two, there are the sweet little sisters, the h’s overbearing, social climbing mother, the H’s awful parents, and a couple of bitter debutantes that need a public Cut Direct.
April 22, 2020
Not going to talk about the mistakes in titles. Not going to do that. (But 'Sir Gibbons' - really? And the younger son of a duke is 'Mr'!)
I do have to like a hero though, and this one is a sulky, resentful, misogynistic flop. He behaves atrociously, and while I've a soft spot for handsome archaeologists (Harrison, Harrison), neither this MC's looks nor his profession give him a pass to act so badly. He jumps to conclusions, runs out on his wife (not once, but twice), keeps a mistress, professes love for his sisters but doesn't bother seeing them for a year at a time, lacks empathy, sneers at elderly peers admiring his wife's breasts, but fantasises about them himself. What a prize. I'm really not sure what the long-suffering heroine sees in him, because AW substitutes physical sizzle between the couple for any sort of meaningful relationship - a cop-out.
I had a couple of AW's books on my TBR, but on the basis of this, I won't bother.
I do have to like a hero though, and this one is a sulky, resentful, misogynistic flop. He behaves atrociously, and while I've a soft spot for handsome archaeologists (Harrison, Harrison), neither this MC's looks nor his profession give him a pass to act so badly. He jumps to conclusions, runs out on his wife (not once, but twice), keeps a mistress, professes love for his sisters but doesn't bother seeing them for a year at a time, lacks empathy, sneers at elderly peers admiring his wife's breasts, but fantasises about them himself. What a prize. I'm really not sure what the long-suffering heroine sees in him, because AW substitutes physical sizzle between the couple for any sort of meaningful relationship - a cop-out.
I had a couple of AW's books on my TBR, but on the basis of this, I won't bother.
January 3, 2016
This is a fantastic historical romance with characters you will immediately fall in love with.
Loved this book so much! The characters are real and wonderful,the story is very interesting with many unexpected twists,the chemistry between two main characters is phenomenal and that ending. Wow,this book was an emotional roller coaster.I loved both Vic and Andrew and both of their POVs were written perfectly. The supporting characters are pretty amazing too- Andrew’s sisters,Vic’s two best friends and,of course,Gen.I love Andrew’s protectiveness and Vic’s loyalty even when the things between them are pretty bad-they always have each other’s backs.
Can’t wait for Amelia’s story!
*E-copy provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.*
You can read this review on BookishFever.
Loved this book so much! The characters are real and wonderful,the story is very interesting with many unexpected twists,the chemistry between two main characters is phenomenal and that ending. Wow,this book was an emotional roller coaster.I loved both Vic and Andrew and both of their POVs were written perfectly. The supporting characters are pretty amazing too- Andrew’s sisters,Vic’s two best friends and,of course,Gen.I love Andrew’s protectiveness and Vic’s loyalty even when the things between them are pretty bad-they always have each other’s backs.
Can’t wait for Amelia’s story!
*E-copy provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.*
You can read this review on BookishFever.
July 19, 2018
Read for the TBR Challenge, July 2018. Grade - B+, 4.5 stars.
Favourite trope month this year gave me the excuse to read a book I’ve been meaning to get to ever since it came out in 2016, Amanda Weaver’s début novel, A Duchess in Name, book one in her Grantham Girls trilogy. I’ve read and reviewed both the other books in the series, but somehow missed the first, which happens to centre around an arranged marriage, making it the perfect choice for this month’s prompt.
Victoria Carson was born in America but has lived in England since she was eight years old because, she suspects, her mother was already scheming to turn her into the perfect English lady in preparation for marrying a prestigious title. Just over a decade later, Hyacinth Carson’s machinations have yet to bear fruit; the Carsons might be fabulously wealthy and have lived in England for many years, but they’re still American upstarts as far as fashionable society is concerned – and it looks as though Victoria’s only suitor is the lecherous Earl of Sturridge, an older man with a fondness for drink who never looks her in the eye, preferring instead to stare at her bosom.
Victoria is relieved when she discovers her parents have other plans for her, and when she is introduced to the Earl of Dunnley, she can’t help being more than relieved, for the earl is young, handsome and, in spite of the awkwardness of their initial meeting, Victoria is unable to ignore the heady rush of attraction that washes over her. Before the end of the earl’s visit, they are engaged to be married and have arranged to meet again the next day.
Andrew Hargrave, Earl of Dunnley and future Duke of Waring, got out of England and away from his parents’ toxic marriage as soon as he could after leaving Cambridge and now spends most of his time in Italy on a dig funded by the Royal Archaeological Society. Of Waring’s four children, the only one he actually sired was his eldest – now deceased – son, and Andrew was never in doubt as to his father’s preference for his brother. Even though he’s now the duke’s heir, Andrew remains as far removed from his unpleasant father and flighty mother (who currently lives in the south of France with her lover) as possible, but is forced to return to England when he receives an urgent summons.
When he arrives, it’s to discover that the ‘emergency’ is that the family is ruined, and that his father insists that Andrew do his duty by them and find an heiress to marry. Furious, Andrew is on the verge of telling his father to go to the devil when the duke points out that their desperately straitened circumstances will be hard on Andrew’s sisters – and then Andrew realises he’s trapped. There is nothing he wouldn’t do for Louisa and Emma, and while he can make his own way in the world, the girls cannot. No money meant no school… no Season… no dowries to help them in marriage. They would be penniless, and the world was cruel to poor women. To make matters even worse, the duke tells his son he had essentially staked his hand and fortune on the turn of a card, and that Andrew is to wed the daughter of the wealthy American to whom he lost.
Still outraged, Andrew calls upon the Carsons the next day, in company with the duke, and is astonished to discover that the young woman he is to wed is nothing at all like he’d expected. Her mother is obviously an unabashed social climber, but Victoria Carson is lovely, graceful, elegant and poised, and Andrew is shocked at the intensity of his reaction to her. The fact that he desires her doesn’t make his situation any easier and in fact might well make things worse. Andrew doesn’t want a wife, title or hypocritical English respectability; he wants to run back to his life in Italy and his work, and he almost resents Victoria for being exactly the sort of young woman a future duke should marry, his attraction to her an unlooked for complication.
Over the next few days and meetings, both Andrew and Victoria begin to realise that perhaps being married to one another night not be such a chore after all - but just as Andrew is adjusting to the idea of remaining in England, he discovers that Carson had schemed to completely ruin his father by tangling him in a fraudulent investment scheme in order to force Andrew into marrying his daughter. Furious, and believing Victoria to have been cognisant of the plan, Andrew returns to Italy the day after the wedding, leaving Victoria at his ramshackle estate of Briarwood Manor in Hampshire.
Alone and bewildered, Victoria allows herself a day to wallow in her grief at her husband’s desertion and then sets about putting Briarwood to rights. I loved watching her establish herself as the mistress of the house while gaining in confidence, strength and independence – she grows into her own away from her interfering parents, and is determined to make a life for herself in the only home she feels has ever been hers.
A Duchess in Name is a well-developed marriage-in-trouble story and while I had a few niggles, there’s much to enjoy if you’re a fan of the trope and like the angst dialled up. Victoria is a terrific heroine, but Andrew is harder to like and his habit of running back to Italy whenever the going gets tough doesn’t paint him of the best of lights. He does, however, find the courage to admit that he may have been wrong and to realise that he must stop running if he’s to stand any chance of not repeating his parents’ mistakes. But Victoria is determined not to let Andrew upset her new-found independence and fall for him all over again only to have him disappear once more – he’s got his work cut out if he’s to convince her that he truly wants to make a life with her.
The novel is well-written (apart from the usual smattering of Americanisms – sigh) and the author really knows how to ratchet up the tension without going over the top and how to create vibrant sexual chemistry between her two leads. Both principals are well-developed complex individuals; Victoria, beautiful, strong and forgiving and Andrew, flawed but ultimately likeable. Yes, he screws up – and given his background, his attitudes and thoughts are somewhat understandable - but he recognises his mistakes and then tries hard to put things right. [One thing I should point out, because I know there will be some for whom this is a dealbreaker, is that Andrew retains his mistress after his marriage, although it’s clear that their relationship is more of a friendship than anything romantic and that their sexual liaison is pretty much over. ]
A Duchess in Name delivered exactly the sort of romantic, angsty and sexy story I’d hoped for and is a must-read for fans of this particular trope.
Favourite trope month this year gave me the excuse to read a book I’ve been meaning to get to ever since it came out in 2016, Amanda Weaver’s début novel, A Duchess in Name, book one in her Grantham Girls trilogy. I’ve read and reviewed both the other books in the series, but somehow missed the first, which happens to centre around an arranged marriage, making it the perfect choice for this month’s prompt.
Victoria Carson was born in America but has lived in England since she was eight years old because, she suspects, her mother was already scheming to turn her into the perfect English lady in preparation for marrying a prestigious title. Just over a decade later, Hyacinth Carson’s machinations have yet to bear fruit; the Carsons might be fabulously wealthy and have lived in England for many years, but they’re still American upstarts as far as fashionable society is concerned – and it looks as though Victoria’s only suitor is the lecherous Earl of Sturridge, an older man with a fondness for drink who never looks her in the eye, preferring instead to stare at her bosom.
Victoria is relieved when she discovers her parents have other plans for her, and when she is introduced to the Earl of Dunnley, she can’t help being more than relieved, for the earl is young, handsome and, in spite of the awkwardness of their initial meeting, Victoria is unable to ignore the heady rush of attraction that washes over her. Before the end of the earl’s visit, they are engaged to be married and have arranged to meet again the next day.
Andrew Hargrave, Earl of Dunnley and future Duke of Waring, got out of England and away from his parents’ toxic marriage as soon as he could after leaving Cambridge and now spends most of his time in Italy on a dig funded by the Royal Archaeological Society. Of Waring’s four children, the only one he actually sired was his eldest – now deceased – son, and Andrew was never in doubt as to his father’s preference for his brother. Even though he’s now the duke’s heir, Andrew remains as far removed from his unpleasant father and flighty mother (who currently lives in the south of France with her lover) as possible, but is forced to return to England when he receives an urgent summons.
When he arrives, it’s to discover that the ‘emergency’ is that the family is ruined, and that his father insists that Andrew do his duty by them and find an heiress to marry. Furious, Andrew is on the verge of telling his father to go to the devil when the duke points out that their desperately straitened circumstances will be hard on Andrew’s sisters – and then Andrew realises he’s trapped. There is nothing he wouldn’t do for Louisa and Emma, and while he can make his own way in the world, the girls cannot. No money meant no school… no Season… no dowries to help them in marriage. They would be penniless, and the world was cruel to poor women. To make matters even worse, the duke tells his son he had essentially staked his hand and fortune on the turn of a card, and that Andrew is to wed the daughter of the wealthy American to whom he lost.
Still outraged, Andrew calls upon the Carsons the next day, in company with the duke, and is astonished to discover that the young woman he is to wed is nothing at all like he’d expected. Her mother is obviously an unabashed social climber, but Victoria Carson is lovely, graceful, elegant and poised, and Andrew is shocked at the intensity of his reaction to her. The fact that he desires her doesn’t make his situation any easier and in fact might well make things worse. Andrew doesn’t want a wife, title or hypocritical English respectability; he wants to run back to his life in Italy and his work, and he almost resents Victoria for being exactly the sort of young woman a future duke should marry, his attraction to her an unlooked for complication.
Over the next few days and meetings, both Andrew and Victoria begin to realise that perhaps being married to one another night not be such a chore after all - but just as Andrew is adjusting to the idea of remaining in England, he discovers that Carson had schemed to completely ruin his father by tangling him in a fraudulent investment scheme in order to force Andrew into marrying his daughter. Furious, and believing Victoria to have been cognisant of the plan, Andrew returns to Italy the day after the wedding, leaving Victoria at his ramshackle estate of Briarwood Manor in Hampshire.
Alone and bewildered, Victoria allows herself a day to wallow in her grief at her husband’s desertion and then sets about putting Briarwood to rights. I loved watching her establish herself as the mistress of the house while gaining in confidence, strength and independence – she grows into her own away from her interfering parents, and is determined to make a life for herself in the only home she feels has ever been hers.
A Duchess in Name is a well-developed marriage-in-trouble story and while I had a few niggles, there’s much to enjoy if you’re a fan of the trope and like the angst dialled up. Victoria is a terrific heroine, but Andrew is harder to like and his habit of running back to Italy whenever the going gets tough doesn’t paint him of the best of lights. He does, however, find the courage to admit that he may have been wrong and to realise that he must stop running if he’s to stand any chance of not repeating his parents’ mistakes. But Victoria is determined not to let Andrew upset her new-found independence and fall for him all over again only to have him disappear once more – he’s got his work cut out if he’s to convince her that he truly wants to make a life with her.
The novel is well-written (apart from the usual smattering of Americanisms – sigh) and the author really knows how to ratchet up the tension without going over the top and how to create vibrant sexual chemistry between her two leads. Both principals are well-developed complex individuals; Victoria, beautiful, strong and forgiving and Andrew, flawed but ultimately likeable. Yes, he screws up – and given his background, his attitudes and thoughts are somewhat understandable - but he recognises his mistakes and then tries hard to put things right. [One thing I should point out, because I know there will be some for whom this is a dealbreaker, is that Andrew retains his mistress after his marriage, although it’s clear that their relationship is more of a friendship than anything romantic and that their sexual liaison is pretty much over. ]
A Duchess in Name delivered exactly the sort of romantic, angsty and sexy story I’d hoped for and is a must-read for fans of this particular trope.
July 22, 2022
3.5 stars. Another new-to-me author. This book is actually good for a debut novel. The plot is very similar to Unforgivable by Joanna Chambers
Comparing this to Unforgivable, the hero, Andrew is slightly more palatable, the separation between the main characters isn’t as long (only a year and a half), and the grovelling is better. There is cheating on Andrew’s side as he retained his mistress after they were married, so that might be a dealbreaker for some people. You can expect a lot of angst and tears with this storyline.
The writing style is excellent and easy to read. I am intrigued enough to look for this author’s other books. Maybe I’ll read the next one in the series.
Steam factor: Mid steam. The love scenes were steamy (not smut level).
Comparing this to Unforgivable, the hero, Andrew is slightly more palatable, the separation between the main characters isn’t as long (only a year and a half), and the grovelling is better. There is cheating on Andrew’s side as he retained his mistress after they were married, so that might be a dealbreaker for some people. You can expect a lot of angst and tears with this storyline.
The writing style is excellent and easy to read. I am intrigued enough to look for this author’s other books. Maybe I’ll read the next one in the series.
Steam factor: Mid steam. The love scenes were steamy (not smut level).
August 19, 2017
Victoria and Andrew. His parents suck, but her parents suck worse. They devised a way to swindle a Duke out of his fortune so they could force the Duke's heir to marry their daughter. Andrew being the Duke's heir is plenty mad. But he wasn't expecting his bride to be to be so beautiful and easy to talk to. This seems to make him even madder. He's spent the last several years in Italy living with his Mistress and running Archaeological digs. He has no desire to marry a stranger and run his dukedom. So despite being drawn to his wife, he flees at the first light of dawn back to Italy and his mistress. OW spoiler for those (like me) who feel better knowing before hand;
He returns a year later for his father's funeral but only stays a few days, again running off to Italy at the first sign of intimacy with his wife.
Well she is done with him now, so even though the seeds of love are sown with him, he pretty much used all his chances already. So the rest of the book is him trying to dig himself out of his hole. And slowly it is working, as he's really putting effort into it, but that's only because she still doesn't know the truth. She doesn't know about his life in Italy and she doesn't know about how her parents managed to arrange her marriage. I liked this book overall but never did forgive him totally for his treatment of her and going back to his mistress, not once, but twice. He ends up being a nice guy and I wanted to forgive him... An epilogue might have helped with them in Italy and no sign of the OW anywhere.
I would definitely read more by this author but maybe be a bit choosier about plot.
WARNING
He returns a year later for his father's funeral but only stays a few days, again running off to Italy at the first sign of intimacy with his wife.
Well she is done with him now, so even though the seeds of love are sown with him, he pretty much used all his chances already. So the rest of the book is him trying to dig himself out of his hole. And slowly it is working, as he's really putting effort into it, but that's only because she still doesn't know the truth. She doesn't know about his life in Italy and she doesn't know about how her parents managed to arrange her marriage. I liked this book overall but never did forgive him totally for his treatment of her and going back to his mistress, not once, but twice. He ends up being a nice guy and I wanted to forgive him... An epilogue might have helped with them in Italy and no sign of the OW anywhere.
I would definitely read more by this author but maybe be a bit choosier about plot.
WARNING
December 19, 2016
Don't remember too much about this one. I recall it being reasonably written. However, I never bought the plot. Having your H/h apart, indeed, the H spends a lot of the time shacked up with his mistress, and in conflict, before bringing them back together creates an uphill battle for a romance writer. And in this book, they never really liked one another or had an established relationship (compare, for example, the master [mistress] of this plot - Sherry Thomas, the characters there always have a backstory). Weaver never managed it for me. The sex was so-so. Ultimately, just all really forgettable.
April 28, 2022
3.7 stars
RTC
RTC
November 1, 2020
2.5 stars. I liked the idea of this book better than I liked the execution. An American heiress groomed by her parents (particularly her unpleasant mother) to capture an impoverished British title. She succeeds, being forced into a marriage of convenience with the heir to a duke. After some misunderstandings and angst, they do fall in love. Sadly for me, I did not really engage with the characters. It all felt a little flat to me, and I ended up doing some skimming towards the end. Many have enjoyed this book more than me, though, so by all means try it for yourself.
The writer acknowledges that her heroine was in part inspired by the real life story of Consuela Vanderbilt, who did marry her duke but without such a happy ending. I have read another (fictional) book also based on the same woman, and strangely enough, I also found that book rather flat and uninteresting. My Last Duchess by Daisy Goodwin. The real life story itself is more fascinating to me than either of these two books. *shrugs* Oh well, at least I did try another new-to-me author. I don't plan to read any more in this series, however.
The writer acknowledges that her heroine was in part inspired by the real life story of Consuela Vanderbilt, who did marry her duke but without such a happy ending. I have read another (fictional) book also based on the same woman, and strangely enough, I also found that book rather flat and uninteresting. My Last Duchess by Daisy Goodwin. The real life story itself is more fascinating to me than either of these two books. *shrugs* Oh well, at least I did try another new-to-me author. I don't plan to read any more in this series, however.
August 4, 2022
3/5 Stars. Bumped up 0.5 stars purely because the author's writing style is good. Enough so, that despite not being completely happy with this book I'll definitely be reading other books from her.
Overall, this is your run-of-the-mill forced marraige plot, except with an American Heroine. While I'm not opposed to this trope, I usually find that I only enjoy it when the reasoning for the hatred between our MC'S is justified and not ridiculous.
That is where this book fails. Andrew is furious at having to marry Victoria, and based on a rumour assumes pretty much everything about her. As an archeologist he doesn't feel it necessary to base his hatred for his wife on something as flighty as facts, silly of us to expect that from a scientist. Instead chooses to believe the first and only thing he hears or knows of her and decides he's going to turn his douche-ness up to a billion. Eventually, he decides to change his tune halfway through the book and we're treated to some A++ grovelling.
I did truly like Victoria to a great extent, as much as I wanted her to slap him silly. I understood what drove her, I could empathize with her feelings, her pain - which is more than I can say for Andrew. The last 25% of the book is truly brilliant to read; because of Victoria and the writing style being peak. I only wished Andrew wasn't such a dumb-dumb.
Overall, not a bad HR to read! However, expect a decent amount of angst.
Overall, this is your run-of-the-mill forced marraige plot, except with an American Heroine. While I'm not opposed to this trope, I usually find that I only enjoy it when the reasoning for the hatred between our MC'S is justified and not ridiculous.
That is where this book fails. Andrew is furious at having to marry Victoria, and based on a rumour assumes pretty much everything about her. As an archeologist he doesn't feel it necessary to base his hatred for his wife on something as flighty as facts, silly of us to expect that from a scientist. Instead chooses to believe the first and only thing he hears or knows of her and decides he's going to turn his douche-ness up to a billion. Eventually, he decides to change his tune halfway through the book and we're treated to some A++ grovelling.
I did truly like Victoria to a great extent, as much as I wanted her to slap him silly. I understood what drove her, I could empathize with her feelings, her pain - which is more than I can say for Andrew. The last 25% of the book is truly brilliant to read; because of Victoria and the writing style being peak. I only wished Andrew wasn't such a dumb-dumb.
Overall, not a bad HR to read! However, expect a decent amount of angst.
January 15, 2017
I asked on Twitter for recommendations for a historical romance with a stellar plot, hot sex, and smart banter. (I'm the publisher of All About Romance) Two of our readers raved about this book.
I bought it and read it and, man, were they right.
I loved this book. Andrew and Victoria were wonderful lovers and characters. Their slow dance toward their well-deserved Happy Ever After was great fun to read and done is a way I completely believed.
Ms. Weaver writes confidently and well--she's especially deft with passion. No purple prose here but rather words that evince the charge the leads find in each other's touch.
This book get my ringing endorsement and I hope fans of historical romance will discover Ms. Weaver's work.
I bought it and read it and, man, were they right.
I loved this book. Andrew and Victoria were wonderful lovers and characters. Their slow dance toward their well-deserved Happy Ever After was great fun to read and done is a way I completely believed.
Ms. Weaver writes confidently and well--she's especially deft with passion. No purple prose here but rather words that evince the charge the leads find in each other's touch.
This book get my ringing endorsement and I hope fans of historical romance will discover Ms. Weaver's work.
January 26, 2022
I liked this more than I expected.
MOC between an American heiress and a Duke’s heir.
Both sets of parents are horrible. While he’s got the ‘poor me, I’ve got sucky parents’ thing going on. She’s doing the best she can to keep everyone happy.
He escapes family responsibilities, and she picks them up and deals with them. She’s the stronger of the two.
‘I love you’ moment arrives at 97%, this desperately needed an epilogue.
MOC between an American heiress and a Duke’s heir.
Both sets of parents are horrible. While he’s got the ‘poor me, I’ve got sucky parents’ thing going on. She’s doing the best she can to keep everyone happy.
He escapes family responsibilities, and she picks them up and deals with them. She’s the stronger of the two.
‘I love you’ moment arrives at 97%, this desperately needed an epilogue.
February 5, 2023
Let me start on a positive note. If the woman in the cover is portrayed as the heroine, she is indeed gorgeous. What a pretty cover!
Now on a not so positive note, I absolutely hate coward and weak heroes. They make me want to hit or shake them, you know? This hero was ridiculous even though he was cute. There was everything here for us to like him, but he was so weak minded time and time again. Instead of pursuing the truth, he simply ran away from his problems leaving his wife to deal with everything by herself.
Now the heroine had enough backbone for his entire family. She was great and super sweet. Taking charge when needed and changing the life of so many people with her attitudes. She was so great that she gained the respect of many.
For her I am giving this book a better rating than it deserves.
Now on a not so positive note, I absolutely hate coward and weak heroes. They make me want to hit or shake them, you know? This hero was ridiculous even though he was cute. There was everything here for us to like him, but he was so weak minded time and time again. Instead of pursuing the truth, he simply ran away from his problems leaving his wife to deal with everything by herself.
Now the heroine had enough backbone for his entire family. She was great and super sweet. Taking charge when needed and changing the life of so many people with her attitudes. She was so great that she gained the respect of many.
For her I am giving this book a better rating than it deserves.
January 13, 2021
It’s very satisfying when a heroine is fantastically competent and you spend most of the book in utter contempt of the idiot hero. This guy spent 18 months stubbornly miserable. He had an absolute goddess of a wife back home and he was off looking for Etruscans and having a very bland affair.
Sure, he redeems himself (mostly) but I often found that he was too boring to hate in a satisfying way. Also, while he seemed keen on spending a lot of time on the heroine’s boobs, I skipped most of the sex scenes. It’s uncomfortable when one of them is having drunken hate sex and the other is experiencing a sexual awakening, the interaction just didn’t gel.
Sure, he redeems himself (mostly) but I often found that he was too boring to hate in a satisfying way. Also, while he seemed keen on spending a lot of time on the heroine’s boobs, I skipped most of the sex scenes. It’s uncomfortable when one of them is having drunken hate sex and the other is experiencing a sexual awakening, the interaction just didn’t gel.
March 8, 2023
4 Stars
Setting: London 1895
Tropes/Themes:
Marriage of Convenience
Titled Hero / American Heiress
MCs have emotional baggage due to terrible parental units
Heroine misjudged by hero
Better than I expected. Based on some reviews, I worried I might end up disappointed. I wasn't, and I'm glad I finally read this. Maybe the reviews prepared me, I don't know, but I enjoyed it and was especially satisfied with how things were resolved at the end. Compared to the heroes I normally read, Andrew was a choirboy. Yeah, he was a bit of a jerk at first but nothing too bad. Anyway, I know I had a few gripes while reading but by the time I finished none of them really mattered to me anymore. All's well that ends well.
✔️ Did he grovel enough? Yes. Andrew delivered with his actions. What I found satisfying was his determination to earn Victoria's trust and affection and which he set out to do for the entire second half of the book. A little too beta-style for my taste, but still, the way he went about it was delightful and hard to resist, even though I wished Victoria didn't make it so easy for him.
✔️ What I also found tremendously pleasing was that at the end, Victoria didn't martyr herself. She had enough self-respect not to settle for a man who she thought didn't love her, no matter how much she loved him, she knew she deserved to be loved in return. How refreshing. I was relieved when she was prepared to leave him.
✔️ I felt Andrew's desperation and anguish at the thought of losing her. I LOVED his declarations of love and devotion in the last few chapters. 💓 I highlighted many.
✔️ The sexy times were swoonworthy.
✔️ Great writing
"Long ago, she’d made herself content with the moon, and then he’d had the audacity to tempt her with the sun. She knew the truth, though. She’d always known it, even if she’d almost forgotten it this summer. She wasn't meant for the sun. And now that she'd reached for it, all she'd gotten was burned."
HEA: Yep. No epilogue.
Cheating: Technically yes, but since this was a MOC, it's debatable. His relationship with the OW was not based on love. It was more of a comfortable companionship for him.
First book read on Hoopla! Another public library freebie.
Add to reread pile.
Setting: London 1895
Tropes/Themes:
Marriage of Convenience
Titled Hero / American Heiress
MCs have emotional baggage due to terrible parental units
Heroine misjudged by hero
Better than I expected. Based on some reviews, I worried I might end up disappointed. I wasn't, and I'm glad I finally read this. Maybe the reviews prepared me, I don't know, but I enjoyed it and was especially satisfied with how things were resolved at the end. Compared to the heroes I normally read, Andrew was a choirboy. Yeah, he was a bit of a jerk at first but nothing too bad. Anyway, I know I had a few gripes while reading but by the time I finished none of them really mattered to me anymore. All's well that ends well.
✔️ Did he grovel enough? Yes. Andrew delivered with his actions. What I found satisfying was his determination to earn Victoria's trust and affection and which he set out to do for the entire second half of the book. A little too beta-style for my taste, but still, the way he went about it was delightful and hard to resist, even though I wished Victoria didn't make it so easy for him.
✔️ What I also found tremendously pleasing was that at the end, Victoria didn't martyr herself. She had enough self-respect not to settle for a man who she thought didn't love her, no matter how much she loved him, she knew she deserved to be loved in return. How refreshing. I was relieved when she was prepared to leave him.
✔️ I felt Andrew's desperation and anguish at the thought of losing her. I LOVED his declarations of love and devotion in the last few chapters. 💓 I highlighted many.
✔️ The sexy times were swoonworthy.
✔️ Great writing
"Long ago, she’d made herself content with the moon, and then he’d had the audacity to tempt her with the sun. She knew the truth, though. She’d always known it, even if she’d almost forgotten it this summer. She wasn't meant for the sun. And now that she'd reached for it, all she'd gotten was burned."
HEA: Yep. No epilogue.
Cheating: Technically yes, but since this was a MOC, it's debatable. His relationship with the OW was not based on love. It was more of a comfortable companionship for him.
First book read on Hoopla! Another public library freebie.
Add to reread pile.
June 18, 2017
4.5/5 Andrew, the Earl of Dunnley, was forced into marriage with American heiress, Victoria Carson to save his ducal family and especially his sisters from financial ruin. Victoria had been brought up and trained to perfection for this exact fate, marriage to a titled nobleman in order to further her socially ambitious parents' rise in status. As such , she was pragmatic and determined to extract the most from such a relationship - independence from her interfering mother, contentment and children. Andrew, in contrast, was kicking and screaming all the way, not outwardly, as he was too well-bred for that, but he certainly was not above making his displeasure felt, especially to his bride, who had the audacity to look too beautiful and innocent, when he deemed her as grasping and scheming as her parents. They married. They consummated the marriage in not an entirely passionless manner. He left her the next morning in his dilapidated, mostly abandoned estate to fend for herself as he made his way back to Italy, his home the last few years and the site of his archaeological work. Victoria got over the shock of not just his leaving, because after all, he was not much more than a stranger, but more her dumping in the rat-infested wreck of a manor . She dried up her tears, rolled up her sleeves and got to work. And she wrote lots of detailed letters. Andrew, the bitter, resentful ass, picked up his Italian life, but not entirely able to ignore the presence of his young wife back home, and not least because of her many unsolicited letters. Then a sudden family event forced him back home to face his responsibilities to his family and his wife, the latter not quite welcoming, but unfortunately still very beautiful and alluring.
Great book and story-telling by this newish author. The ending was a bit melo-dramatic, but hey, I love a good angst fest and it featured quite a few of my favourite tropes. And there is a healthy dose of grovelling too, some of it in the form of long letters back to her. Good stuff!
Good heavens, how could a meeting of lips be felt over every inch of her skin?
Blast it, he missed her bloody letters. He missed her voice in each line. He missed her descriptions of the bloody cows and the orchards. What he hadn’t realized at the time was it had been her attempt to show him who she was. She had been giving him a chance to get to know her and experience her life.
This was always when her anger hit the brick wall of his kindness. Her rage would be easy to maintain if he met it with his own, if they battled it out in public the way she did in her head. But there was no anger on Andrew’s side, not ever. Only a friendly, open generosity, a willingness to learn, a desire to be helpful. How on earth was a person supposed to fight such maddening decency?
Long ago, she’d made herself content with the moon, and then he’d had the audacity to tempt her with the sun.
>/i>
Great book and story-telling by this newish author. The ending was a bit melo-dramatic, but hey, I love a good angst fest and it featured quite a few of my favourite tropes. And there is a healthy dose of grovelling too, some of it in the form of long letters back to her. Good stuff!
Good heavens, how could a meeting of lips be felt over every inch of her skin?
Blast it, he missed her bloody letters. He missed her voice in each line. He missed her descriptions of the bloody cows and the orchards. What he hadn’t realized at the time was it had been her attempt to show him who she was. She had been giving him a chance to get to know her and experience her life.
This was always when her anger hit the brick wall of his kindness. Her rage would be easy to maintain if he met it with his own, if they battled it out in public the way she did in her head. But there was no anger on Andrew’s side, not ever. Only a friendly, open generosity, a willingness to learn, a desire to be helpful. How on earth was a person supposed to fight such maddening decency?
Long ago, she’d made herself content with the moon, and then he’d had the audacity to tempt her with the sun.
>/i>
March 13, 2016
I should probably start this review by saying that I have never really enjoyed historical romance in the past. No, not exactly that I haven't enjoyed it, but rather, I've not really read it much. Or at all, if I'm being honest. At least not prior to reading A Duchess in Name. If you follow me on here at all, you'll notice I've become a bit obsessed with the genre. And that's all due to the feelings this book gave me.
I bought this book because I wanted to support a friend. And while I knew Amanda Weaver was an extremely talented writer, I didn't really know what to expect from this book in particular.
Well...I read this book in a day. In one sitting, actually. I found I couldn't put it down. I was so drawn in by these two characters who were so incredibly layered and developed. And the story itself, so aching and heartbreakingly romantic.
The premise:
Two people forced into a marriage they didn't choose. And yes, I know this is a widely used trope. But JFC, this was just done so, so well. I adored the heroine, Victoria. She was determined and strong, and her heart was beautiful, giving, and ultimately forgiving.
I even loved Andrew, the hero. That is, I loved him while hating him through part of the book. The thing is this: good books have flawed characters. And yeah, this hero is certainly flawed. But you can give me a hero who fucks up, and I will still love him if he knows he fucked up, apologizes for fucking up, and spends a decent amount of time making up for his fuck up.
And while Victoria had my love throughout the entire book, Andrew certainly earned my love in the end. Well, let's be real. He probably earned it before the end.
Is this book for everyone? Probably no. Some of you can't take the angst. And this book gives you delicious, glorious angst from beginning to end. But I love that. I can eat angst with a spoon as long as it's not unnecessary.
I won't lie. This book breaks one of my cardinal rules. I won't say which rule it breaks, but I WILL say that it broke the rule, and I still gave this 5 stars. I'm hoping that says a lot about just how much I loved it.
Now go.
Buy this book.
Read it, and come flail with me.
I bought this book because I wanted to support a friend. And while I knew Amanda Weaver was an extremely talented writer, I didn't really know what to expect from this book in particular.
Well...I read this book in a day. In one sitting, actually. I found I couldn't put it down. I was so drawn in by these two characters who were so incredibly layered and developed. And the story itself, so aching and heartbreakingly romantic.
The premise:
Two people forced into a marriage they didn't choose. And yes, I know this is a widely used trope. But JFC, this was just done so, so well. I adored the heroine, Victoria. She was determined and strong, and her heart was beautiful, giving, and ultimately forgiving.
I even loved Andrew, the hero. That is, I loved him while hating him through part of the book. The thing is this: good books have flawed characters. And yeah, this hero is certainly flawed. But you can give me a hero who fucks up, and I will still love him if he knows he fucked up, apologizes for fucking up, and spends a decent amount of time making up for his fuck up.
And while Victoria had my love throughout the entire book, Andrew certainly earned my love in the end. Well, let's be real. He probably earned it before the end.
Is this book for everyone? Probably no. Some of you can't take the angst. And this book gives you delicious, glorious angst from beginning to end. But I love that. I can eat angst with a spoon as long as it's not unnecessary.
I won't lie. This book breaks one of my cardinal rules. I won't say which rule it breaks, but I WILL say that it broke the rule, and I still gave this 5 stars. I'm hoping that says a lot about just how much I loved it.
Now go.
Buy this book.
Read it, and come flail with me.
October 18, 2016
3.75 Stars
April 28, 2016
Rating: 2.5
**I received a free eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
To me, this isn't a love story about Victoria and Andrew... To me, this is a story about the wonderful Victoria.
Victoria is an heiress who has been raised to be a proper lady and become the wife of a man with a title one day. That's all she can aspire to be, the wife of someone who just wanted her for her money.
Due to some dirty tricks pulled by her father, she's to marry Andrew, the Earl of Dunnley and heir to the Duke of Waring. Andrew has been living in Italy for years, working as an archaeologist trying to follow his dream alongside his friend Randolph and his lover, Luciana (yes, he has a lover *first heartbreak*).
Andrew cares a lot about his little sisters and, after his older brother dies, his broke father forces him to marry a wealthy woman, telling him that otherwise his sisters would have no future.
So... Andrew... I don't know how I feel about him. He thinks Victoria married him only for his title and there's also another misunderstanding that makes him dislike her even more. Even though they're incredibly attracted to each other when they first meet.
First of all, a little warning for you my dear reader: if you get very sensitive when you're witnessing a misunderstanding (ok, I'm being very dramatic) then be careful with this book. My little tummy and heart could barely take this (and I'm not being dramatic now, this actually happened). I loved Victoria, and Andrew just kept breaking her heart over and over and over and over again... SO BEWARE!
Andrew didn't even seem like a bad guy, he was actually nice. But not to Victoria. I think their wedding night scarred me *second heartbreak*. Badly done, Andrew. Badly done.
And there are a lot other times we get our hearts broken, mind you. But I don't want to spoil things too much.
I mean, Andrew... Do you so easily believe in rumors? Can't you just go to Victoria to talk and see what happens? Would it KILL YOU?!! You can't just believe in rumors like that and be incredibly mean to someone because of them!!
I felt like crying more than once, I did.
Let's talk about Victoria now. She's amazing. She thought things would be really bad once she got married, but she would have her freedom, away from her annoying mama and a father who doesn't care about her because she "failed to be a son"...
But things are even worse. She trusts Andrew and gives him her little heart and he just steps on it again and again. At least she's fine on her own, and she's doing a great job at their new home, especially after he just left her like that alone in that dumpster...
In the end, after he finds out the truth, he tries to pull a Mr. Darcy and make things right again. And Victoria, being the angel that she is, accepts everything (she actually feels bad and wants to apologize for everything, what). Oh no mister, oh no no no. You have some real making up to do now, some begging. She suffered SO MUCH because of everything you did to her, and you just go and tell her you love her and want to be with her and you think that's it?! (It really is though).
I did like the story and reading about Victoria, but I would've liked it a lot better if at least the second half of the book had been about Andrew making it up to her. But he treated her so bad for so long... I don't know. I really wanted to slap some sense into him.
Nonetheless, I still thought this was a nice story... after I had made peace with my tummy and my heart (I was serious about that part). I'm glad I read about Victoria, but I still think Andrew could have done way better trying to make things right. She deserved better. So much better.
Also, the writing is beautiful (I mean, look at all those quotes I just shared! Haha :P). And I do look forward to reading about the other Grantham girls, I hope they have better luck than Victoria though!
More reviews on my blog: Lipstick and Mocha
**I received a free eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
"Long ago, ago, she'd made herself content with the moon, and then he'd had the audacity to tempt her with the sun. She knew the truth, though. She'd always known it, even if she'd almost forgotten it this summer. She wasn't meant for the sun. And now that she'd reached for it, all she'd gotten was burned."
To me, this isn't a love story about Victoria and Andrew... To me, this is a story about the wonderful Victoria.
Victoria is an heiress who has been raised to be a proper lady and become the wife of a man with a title one day. That's all she can aspire to be, the wife of someone who just wanted her for her money.
Due to some dirty tricks pulled by her father, she's to marry Andrew, the Earl of Dunnley and heir to the Duke of Waring. Andrew has been living in Italy for years, working as an archaeologist trying to follow his dream alongside his friend Randolph and his lover, Luciana (yes, he has a lover *first heartbreak*).
"She said nothing more. No one cared what she thought anyway. She existed only to be attractive, polite, and to marry well, and that was apparently about to happen with very little input from her"
Andrew cares a lot about his little sisters and, after his older brother dies, his broke father forces him to marry a wealthy woman, telling him that otherwise his sisters would have no future.
So... Andrew... I don't know how I feel about him. He thinks Victoria married him only for his title and there's also another misunderstanding that makes him dislike her even more. Even though they're incredibly attracted to each other when they first meet.
First of all, a little warning for you my dear reader: if you get very sensitive when you're witnessing a misunderstanding (ok, I'm being very dramatic) then be careful with this book. My little tummy and heart could barely take this (and I'm not being dramatic now, this actually happened). I loved Victoria, and Andrew just kept breaking her heart over and over and over and over again... SO BEWARE!
"She could not let him in. He was untrustworthy, and had broken her too many times already. She wasn't giving him any more chances to do it again. He could do what he liked with her body, if that's the way it had to be. He would not gain access to her heart through it."
Andrew didn't even seem like a bad guy, he was actually nice. But not to Victoria. I think their wedding night scarred me *second heartbreak*. Badly done, Andrew. Badly done.
And there are a lot other times we get our hearts broken, mind you. But I don't want to spoil things too much.
I mean, Andrew... Do you so easily believe in rumors? Can't you just go to Victoria to talk and see what happens? Would it KILL YOU?!! You can't just believe in rumors like that and be incredibly mean to someone because of them!!
"But trust... that was a fragile thing, easily broken and hard to repair."
I felt like crying more than once, I did.
Let's talk about Victoria now. She's amazing. She thought things would be really bad once she got married, but she would have her freedom, away from her annoying mama and a father who doesn't care about her because she "failed to be a son"...
"She didn't need a dream, she only hoped to avoid a nightmare"
But things are even worse. She trusts Andrew and gives him her little heart and he just steps on it again and again. At least she's fine on her own, and she's doing a great job at their new home, especially after he just left her like that alone in that dumpster...
In the end, after he finds out the truth, he tries to pull a Mr. Darcy and make things right again. And Victoria, being the angel that she is, accepts everything (she actually feels bad and wants to apologize for everything, what). Oh no mister, oh no no no. You have some real making up to do now, some begging. She suffered SO MUCH because of everything you did to her, and you just go and tell her you love her and want to be with her and you think that's it?! (It really is though).
"He'd built the walls she now had around her, and they were high and strong. He couldn't bring them down with a show of force."
I did like the story and reading about Victoria, but I would've liked it a lot better if at least the second half of the book had been about Andrew making it up to her. But he treated her so bad for so long... I don't know. I really wanted to slap some sense into him.
Nonetheless, I still thought this was a nice story... after I had made peace with my tummy and my heart (I was serious about that part). I'm glad I read about Victoria, but I still think Andrew could have done way better trying to make things right. She deserved better. So much better.
Also, the writing is beautiful (I mean, look at all those quotes I just shared! Haha :P). And I do look forward to reading about the other Grantham girls, I hope they have better luck than Victoria though!
More reviews on my blog: Lipstick and Mocha
January 5, 2016
Disclosure: I received this ARC through Netgalley. Thank you to Carina Press and Amanda Weaver for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.
* * *
The Duchess referred to in the title is Victoria Carson, an American heiress who has lived in London since she was a young girl. Her mother has grand ambitions of having Victoria marry a title, and Victoria has lived her whole life preparing to be a peer's wife. It is near the end of another season for Victoria, and with only one suitor, she is preparing herself to accept his proposal, despite her own reservations.
But when her parents inform her of her (sudden) engagement to the Earl of Dunnley, Victoria is, at once, concerned and intrigued, because she had never heard of or met the man before, and she wonders how a man could propose marriage so quickly without ever having met her. She had long accepted that society would regard her for her wealth first, and that seems to be the case with the Earl of Dunnley.
No one had heard of the Earl of Dunnley, because Andrew Carson had spent most of his adult life away from England. He enjoys his work in Italy, digging up remnants of Etruscan history, his field of expertise. As a second son, and a bastard, Andrew has never had close ties with his families -- but, when his older brother died, Andrew knew it was only a matter of time before he would be summoned by his father to do his duty to their family name.
It was already a distasteful prospect, but, when Andrew discovers how his engagement to Victoria came about, it became even more disagreeable.
Prepared to dislike Victoria, Andrew is unprepared for Victoria's breathtaking beauty. And Victoria is equally disarmed by Andrew's handsomeness.
For a while, I worried about Victoria and Andrew, because it was obvious that they were relying solely on the physical attraction between them, and I wondered how the author would proceed with their love story with that being the sole basis. But, Amanda Weaver shows that she has a clear vision of her story, and that the initial draw between our hero and heroine would later become part of a more complex picture.
In truth, this story takes a while to set-up: with the lengthy narrative into Victoria's unhappy relationship with her mother, and her years at Lady Grantham's Finishing School. Then there's the emphasis on Victoria's (lack of) experience in managing country estates. This was another point that I initially wondered about -- because it made Victoria seem so shallow, but, as the story progresses, I realize that this is a very useful detail after Andrew and Victoria marry.
All the pieces start falling into place when Andrew and Victoria marry -- to be more precise, it starts to fall into place on the night before they marry. Andrew discovers a deeper (more insidious) story to his father's arrangement with Victoria's father -- and, while Andrew's first instinct is to call off the wedding, but he is honor-bound to fulfill his part of the bargain.
There is a tug between attraction and repulsion between Andrew and Victoria -- Andrew is determined to keep Victoria at arms' length, but Victoria's innocent and passionate response to him is hard to resist. Fight or fold? Andrew abandons his wife of one day in Briarwood, their broken-down estate and returns to Italy with only a brief note informing his wife of his plans.
Victoria wakes up alone, and unprepared for the life Andrew has left her with -- but, like her husband, she is determined to fight -- and, with the help of her maid and the housekeeper, Victoria slowly restores Briarwood. This is where all the set-up in the early chapters really come to play -- and we see Victoria grow from a social butterfly, into something grander -- into a version of herself that she hadn't even imagined for herself.
My favorite part of Weaver's plot: Victoria's quest for a family. It is such a tension-filled arrangement with Andrew -- and I love the ruthlessness and single-mindedness in which Victoria pursues her goal. After Andrew's initial abandonment, Victoria turns the tables on him and takes control of their sexual affairs. She is clear that she wants a child, and she lays out all the ground rules for her and Andrew. Page after page, chapter after chapter, I kept wondering if she is able to achieve her goal -- because, at this point, I found myself rooting for Victoria. I want her to have it all. I want her to achieve her dream. I want her to have her happy ending.
A slow start that leads to a spectacularly amazing finish: I hadn't expected to enjoy Amanda Weaver's novel as much as I did, but it really is a beautiful, well-planned out story. There are a lot of points that I could discuss further here, but this is really one of those books you have to read for yourself.
A Duchess in Name is Amanda Weaver's debut historical romance novel (She previously wrote and published contemporaries) and will be released on January 18, 2016.
* * *
The Duchess referred to in the title is Victoria Carson, an American heiress who has lived in London since she was a young girl. Her mother has grand ambitions of having Victoria marry a title, and Victoria has lived her whole life preparing to be a peer's wife. It is near the end of another season for Victoria, and with only one suitor, she is preparing herself to accept his proposal, despite her own reservations.
But when her parents inform her of her (sudden) engagement to the Earl of Dunnley, Victoria is, at once, concerned and intrigued, because she had never heard of or met the man before, and she wonders how a man could propose marriage so quickly without ever having met her. She had long accepted that society would regard her for her wealth first, and that seems to be the case with the Earl of Dunnley.
She said nothing more. No one cared what she thought anyway. She existed only to be attractive, polite, and to marry well, and that was apparently about to happen with very little input from her. Whenever she'd imagined her future, her husband had always remained little more than a shadowy figure in the background. Since she had almost no say in the choosing, she didn't waste mental energy imagining some paragon of a man she'd never have. Now it seemed she would have the Earl of Dunnly, whoever that was.
- loc 359
No one had heard of the Earl of Dunnley, because Andrew Carson had spent most of his adult life away from England. He enjoys his work in Italy, digging up remnants of Etruscan history, his field of expertise. As a second son, and a bastard, Andrew has never had close ties with his families -- but, when his older brother died, Andrew knew it was only a matter of time before he would be summoned by his father to do his duty to their family name.
It was already a distasteful prospect, but, when Andrew discovers how his engagement to Victoria came about, it became even more disagreeable.
Prepared to dislike Victoria, Andrew is unprepared for Victoria's breathtaking beauty. And Victoria is equally disarmed by Andrew's handsomeness.
None of this was genuine. This was an arrangement he was being forced into to save his sisters. And Miss Carson, no matter how attractive he found her, was marrying him for one reason only: to claim his cursed title for her own. Whatever desperate straits had driven him to this moment, she was here because she wanted something, and that something had nothing to do with him as a man. For her, this was business, and it needed to remain that for him, as well.
- loc 454
For a while, I worried about Victoria and Andrew, because it was obvious that they were relying solely on the physical attraction between them, and I wondered how the author would proceed with their love story with that being the sole basis. But, Amanda Weaver shows that she has a clear vision of her story, and that the initial draw between our hero and heroine would later become part of a more complex picture.
In truth, this story takes a while to set-up: with the lengthy narrative into Victoria's unhappy relationship with her mother, and her years at Lady Grantham's Finishing School. Then there's the emphasis on Victoria's (lack of) experience in managing country estates. This was another point that I initially wondered about -- because it made Victoria seem so shallow, but, as the story progresses, I realize that this is a very useful detail after Andrew and Victoria marry.
All the pieces start falling into place when Andrew and Victoria marry -- to be more precise, it starts to fall into place on the night before they marry. Andrew discovers a deeper (more insidious) story to his father's arrangement with Victoria's father -- and, while Andrew's first instinct is to call off the wedding, but he is honor-bound to fulfill his part of the bargain.
There is a tug between attraction and repulsion between Andrew and Victoria -- Andrew is determined to keep Victoria at arms' length, but Victoria's innocent and passionate response to him is hard to resist. Fight or fold? Andrew abandons his wife of one day in Briarwood, their broken-down estate and returns to Italy with only a brief note informing his wife of his plans.
Victoria wakes up alone, and unprepared for the life Andrew has left her with -- but, like her husband, she is determined to fight -- and, with the help of her maid and the housekeeper, Victoria slowly restores Briarwood. This is where all the set-up in the early chapters really come to play -- and we see Victoria grow from a social butterfly, into something grander -- into a version of herself that she hadn't even imagined for herself.
My favorite part of Weaver's plot: Victoria's quest for a family. It is such a tension-filled arrangement with Andrew -- and I love the ruthlessness and single-mindedness in which Victoria pursues her goal. After Andrew's initial abandonment, Victoria turns the tables on him and takes control of their sexual affairs. She is clear that she wants a child, and she lays out all the ground rules for her and Andrew. Page after page, chapter after chapter, I kept wondering if she is able to achieve her goal -- because, at this point, I found myself rooting for Victoria. I want her to have it all. I want her to achieve her dream. I want her to have her happy ending.
She could not let him in. He was untrustworthy, and had broken her too many times already. She wasn't giving him any more chances to do it again. He could do what he liked with her body, if that's the way it had to be. He would not gain access to her heart through it.
- loc 2656
A slow start that leads to a spectacularly amazing finish: I hadn't expected to enjoy Amanda Weaver's novel as much as I did, but it really is a beautiful, well-planned out story. There are a lot of points that I could discuss further here, but this is really one of those books you have to read for yourself.
A Duchess in Name is Amanda Weaver's debut historical romance novel (She previously wrote and published contemporaries) and will be released on January 18, 2016.
June 5, 2018
I really did like this one, and it would have been 4 stars except for the hero did not grovel enough! He was really awful and in the end to just be like sorry, bae, .... nope.
I really loved the heroine Victoria. American heiress, terrible parents (although not that terrible, they just wanted her to marry well, and didn’t they all want that). I like her friendships and can’t wait to read about the other friends in the next books.
Andrew had potential. I enjoyed that despite being a peer he was an archaeologist and passionate about his Wk. I did not enjoy that he crossed a hard limit for me. I understood his cheating in this, but really felt like he only stopped having a mistress because she left HIM, and used part of Victoria’s fortune to settle his mistress with a nice payoff. Poor Victoria.
I did find this really well written and enjoyable, although I could see some ppl being bored as it’s more character driven (which I enjoyed). It really is a 4 star book, I’m just so mad at the cheating that I didn’t have time to get over!
I really loved the heroine Victoria. American heiress, terrible parents (although not that terrible, they just wanted her to marry well, and didn’t they all want that). I like her friendships and can’t wait to read about the other friends in the next books.
Andrew had potential. I enjoyed that despite being a peer he was an archaeologist and passionate about his Wk. I did not enjoy that he crossed a hard limit for me. I understood his cheating in this, but really felt like he only stopped having a mistress because she left HIM, and used part of Victoria’s fortune to settle his mistress with a nice payoff. Poor Victoria.
I did find this really well written and enjoyable, although I could see some ppl being bored as it’s more character driven (which I enjoyed). It really is a 4 star book, I’m just so mad at the cheating that I didn’t have time to get over!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2018
Loved the book but where is my epilogue??? 😭
August 29, 2017
First half is slow, enjoyed the rest half more. Writing is great, looking forward to read this author further.
September 23, 2017
4,5 stars
At some point of this book I almost certain that there's no way I would love the hero for what he did to the heroine but I guess I have a forgiving heart.
If only there's an epilogue, this book would be a solid five stars.
At some point of this book I almost certain that there's no way I would love the hero for what he did to the heroine but I guess I have a forgiving heart.
If only there's an epilogue, this book would be a solid five stars.
January 19, 2016
My review cross-posted from Wit and Sin: http://witandsin.blogspot.com/2016/01...
A marriage of convenience becomes something much more in A Duchess in Name . Amanda Weaver kicks off her Grantham Girls series with this compelling, emotional tale featuring a fantastic heroine and a hero who has to become the man she deserves.
I absolutely adored Victoria. She’s been raised to do her duty and allow her parents to use their wealth to capture her a husband with a title they covet. Victoria is accepting of her destiny, but that doesn’t mean she’s spineless. When her parents’ conniving throws the Earl of Dunnley practically in her lap, Victoria is surprised that fate has done her a favor. Andrew is kind, attractive, and there’s a spark between them that makes her hope for more than the life she has planned out. But when her new husband abandons her, leaving her to fend for herself in his tumbledown ancestral home, Victoria doesn’t fall to pieces in the face of a shattered new dream and a mess of a house. Rather, she picks herself up and uses her wits and fortune to make a home. She isn’t perfect, but she also isn’t afraid to ask for help when she’s in over her head. Quite simply, Victoria is a wonderful heroine who is resourceful, kind, and generous. She’s so deserving of the happily ever after she never thinks she’ll get that you don’t want to put the book down until the fairytale is hers.
Andrew is where A Duchess in Name hits a snag for me. He’s an archeologist who lives outside society and would be content never to return to England if his parents weren’t putting his sisters’ futures in jeopardy. Being forced to wed a stranger upsets him, which is logical, but it’s clear that he and Victoria are hitting it off when they first meet. When he learns the truth of what brought them together, however, he acts poorly, blaming Victoria when he has little reason to. Andrew is a flat-out terrible husband for most of the story, and it went on for so long that it left a sour taste in my mouth. When he does come to his senses, I don’t blame Victoria for having had enough. Ms. Weaver did show goodness in Andrew, and because of this I was willing to watch him work to be the hero Victoria deserved. Still, there is so much discord between Andrew and Victoria that I wish a bit more time had been spent on the happily ever after part of the story to smooth those rough edges.
Even with my reservations about the story, I cannot deny that I was completely drawn in by Ms. Weaver’s writing. She has a talent for making characters come alive and that made A Duchess in Name impossible to put down. I finished the book wishing Victoria’s fellow Grantham Girls, along with Lady Grantham herself, already had stories out because I was so intrigued by them. So while there were perhaps a bit too many ups and downs to Victoria and Andrew’s romance, I still cannot wait to read the next Grantham Girls book, A Common Scandal.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A marriage of convenience becomes something much more in A Duchess in Name . Amanda Weaver kicks off her Grantham Girls series with this compelling, emotional tale featuring a fantastic heroine and a hero who has to become the man she deserves.
I absolutely adored Victoria. She’s been raised to do her duty and allow her parents to use their wealth to capture her a husband with a title they covet. Victoria is accepting of her destiny, but that doesn’t mean she’s spineless. When her parents’ conniving throws the Earl of Dunnley practically in her lap, Victoria is surprised that fate has done her a favor. Andrew is kind, attractive, and there’s a spark between them that makes her hope for more than the life she has planned out. But when her new husband abandons her, leaving her to fend for herself in his tumbledown ancestral home, Victoria doesn’t fall to pieces in the face of a shattered new dream and a mess of a house. Rather, she picks herself up and uses her wits and fortune to make a home. She isn’t perfect, but she also isn’t afraid to ask for help when she’s in over her head. Quite simply, Victoria is a wonderful heroine who is resourceful, kind, and generous. She’s so deserving of the happily ever after she never thinks she’ll get that you don’t want to put the book down until the fairytale is hers.
Andrew is where A Duchess in Name hits a snag for me. He’s an archeologist who lives outside society and would be content never to return to England if his parents weren’t putting his sisters’ futures in jeopardy. Being forced to wed a stranger upsets him, which is logical, but it’s clear that he and Victoria are hitting it off when they first meet. When he learns the truth of what brought them together, however, he acts poorly, blaming Victoria when he has little reason to. Andrew is a flat-out terrible husband for most of the story, and it went on for so long that it left a sour taste in my mouth. When he does come to his senses, I don’t blame Victoria for having had enough. Ms. Weaver did show goodness in Andrew, and because of this I was willing to watch him work to be the hero Victoria deserved. Still, there is so much discord between Andrew and Victoria that I wish a bit more time had been spent on the happily ever after part of the story to smooth those rough edges.
Even with my reservations about the story, I cannot deny that I was completely drawn in by Ms. Weaver’s writing. She has a talent for making characters come alive and that made A Duchess in Name impossible to put down. I finished the book wishing Victoria’s fellow Grantham Girls, along with Lady Grantham herself, already had stories out because I was so intrigued by them. So while there were perhaps a bit too many ups and downs to Victoria and Andrew’s romance, I still cannot wait to read the next Grantham Girls book, A Common Scandal.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
January 21, 2016
Hmm...this book. I am not really getting all the high reviews.
In my opinion, it was really not very well written. Sometimes when you read a book, the story and plotlines flow so naturally. You can totally see how something might actually happen (however crazy), and become completely engrossed in the story. This was not one of those books. The plot devices and characterizations just felt so clumsy and forced. I could feel the author trying to force her way through this plot. I kept on wanting to put it down, but then it would seem to maybe redeem itself before going back to meh territory.
Also, the hero. He was definitely a melodramatic, pouty-spoiled-baby man. Maybe a bit psycho? He goes from HATING the heroine to whispering sweet nothings in her ear and proclaiming his undying love. Because of the swift transition from the former to the latter, it came across a bit creepy to me.
Honestly, I think this could have been a good story. I love the marriage of convenience trope, but it just wasn't executed well enough for me to really love it.
In my opinion, it was really not very well written. Sometimes when you read a book, the story and plotlines flow so naturally. You can totally see how something might actually happen (however crazy), and become completely engrossed in the story. This was not one of those books. The plot devices and characterizations just felt so clumsy and forced. I could feel the author trying to force her way through this plot. I kept on wanting to put it down, but then it would seem to maybe redeem itself before going back to meh territory.
Also, the hero. He was definitely a melodramatic, pouty-spoiled-baby man. Maybe a bit psycho? He goes from HATING the heroine to whispering sweet nothings in her ear and proclaiming his undying love. Because of the swift transition from the former to the latter, it came across a bit creepy to me.
Honestly, I think this could have been a good story. I love the marriage of convenience trope, but it just wasn't executed well enough for me to really love it.
March 11, 2016
The hero really ruined it for me. He was a complete jerk to the heroine for over half the book due to a misunderstanding and lack of communication. By the time he finally realized he was wrong and decided to make amends, it was too little too late. The heroine, on the other hand, was very likable even if she bordered on sainthood at times for the way she was able to remain gracious while putting up with all his crappy behavior. If the misunderstanding had been cleared up a bit earlier in the book and the rest was spent showing them getting to know one another as a newly married couple, I think it would’ve led to a more satisifying ending. Unfortunately, the hero spent so much time resenting the heroine over a false assumption and so little time making up for it that it was hard to believe he was truly in love with her or that he even deserved a HEA.
February 3, 2017
So good. The characters were so well crafted that my heart was bleeding for them the whole book. Gorgeous and sexy, angsty and delightful. One of my biggest critiques of period romance is that the clothing is described inaccurately, but I was safe in Weaver's hands. Her costuming background makes for perfectly drawn details--my absolute favorite scene takes place in a dressmaker's shop.
A fast read that tugs on the emotions the whole story, with the bedroom door left wide open for some delicious moments.
I can't wait for the next one.
A fast read that tugs on the emotions the whole story, with the bedroom door left wide open for some delicious moments.
I can't wait for the next one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews