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The Duke's Double
Once upon a time, beautiful Joanna Sherwood, the Countess of Carew, had been wildly, helplessly in love with Adrian Delacourt, the darkly handsome, devastatingly charming Duke of Roxbury.
That was before she married Adrian. That was before he showed his true colors when he accused her of unfaithfulness and dragged her name through the mud of public scandal. That was before she fled to Italy with Adrian's best friend, Gareth Sherwood, who rescued her from the total ruin of her divorce by making her his wife.
Now Joanna had returned to England as a ravishing young widow—only to find nothing had changed.
Unfair scandal still shrouded her name—and impossible love still burned in her heart....
That was before she married Adrian. That was before he showed his true colors when he accused her of unfaithfulness and dragged her name through the mud of public scandal. That was before she fled to Italy with Adrian's best friend, Gareth Sherwood, who rescued her from the total ruin of her divorce by making her his wife.
Now Joanna had returned to England as a ravishing young widow—only to find nothing had changed.
Unfair scandal still shrouded her name—and impossible love still burned in her heart....
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
About the author
Anita Mills
44 books66 followersA former history and English teacher, Anita Mills turned to writing in the mid-1980's. After her regency romance SCANDAL BOUND was published followed by her highly acclaimed LADY OF FIRE, Anita Mills went on to enjoy an award filled career. Her historical novels and regency short stories are ranked among the best in their respective genres. The parents of four children, Anita and her husband Larry find peace on a small farm near Plattsburgh, Missouri. This former teacher has drawn upon her love for both history and English to enrich her novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
July 18, 2018
Six years ago the H’s viperous, evil mother accused the heroine of adultery with the H’s and the h’s childhood best friend. He bought it hook, line and sinker, and dragged the h through the divorce courts. She elopes with the best friend while pregnant with the Duke’s son.
The poor best friend is now dead and the h and her two sons have returned from England. The Black Spider mother wants the son to marry someone of her picking this time, and isn’t afraid to set him up to compromise the new chick with the new chick's approval. A Duke's title is at stake after all. Black Widow MIL wants to run the h out on a rail again for daring to come back to England, and I want her to die. The Black Widow MIL. Horribly and painfully.
The Dumb Duke sees her oldest boy and, once again, genetics don’t lie. The son is the spitting image of the Duke; he wants his son and is angry the heroine never said anything. You know between being accused of adultery, pillioried in the courts, and shunned by society she should have slipped that in. The h points out HE WOULD NEVER HAVE BELIEVED HER.
A new swain gallops into the arena and offers the heroine his arm and heart, but the h has a love/hate thing going on with the Dumb Duke and you know what side I want her to fall on. I was disappointed as after holding firm for much longer than most heroines, she finally caves and actually becomes the cheater she was once accused of. I guess it’s okay that she’s cheating on her nice guy fiancee, who merely has an Irish title -SHOCK, since she’s cheating with her ex-husband, the love of her life.
The H eventually finds out that his mother lied like a dog, and proposes. Barf. HUGE points off for the Black Widow evil MIL not getting any more of a real comeuppance. The H threatens to take away her allowance and ship her off to Northumbria, but doesn’t. He does promise to take the h to London and exonerate her which means revealing his mother’s evil plan, but I don’t have high hopes that will happen.
This is almost the exact same story as another Regency where the MIL sets up the DIL. In that one the H is on the verge of leaving for South America to search for plants or something at the end of the book. Anyone know the name?
Found it. It is Once a Duchess.
Well written and fleshed out, but few nice people. They either die or are pushed out.
The BAD
Evil Dowager MIL: needs to die painfully or get shunned by the Regency world
Hero: Momma’s boy and idiot.
Heroine: Starts out strong, then uses her nice suitor and cheats on him and still plans on marrying him
Eldest son: shows signs of snottiness with younger brother as his dead dadloved him better, but he’s a kid so he has a break
The GOOD
The Anglo-Irish fiancee
A couple of the servants
The poor best friend is now dead and the h and her two sons have returned from England. The Black Spider mother wants the son to marry someone of her picking this time, and isn’t afraid to set him up to compromise the new chick with the new chick's approval. A Duke's title is at stake after all. Black Widow MIL wants to run the h out on a rail again for daring to come back to England, and I want her to die. The Black Widow MIL. Horribly and painfully.
The Dumb Duke sees her oldest boy and, once again, genetics don’t lie. The son is the spitting image of the Duke; he wants his son and is angry the heroine never said anything. You know between being accused of adultery, pillioried in the courts, and shunned by society she should have slipped that in. The h points out HE WOULD NEVER HAVE BELIEVED HER.
A new swain gallops into the arena and offers the heroine his arm and heart, but the h has a love/hate thing going on with the Dumb Duke and you know what side I want her to fall on. I was disappointed as after holding firm for much longer than most heroines, she finally caves and actually becomes the cheater she was once accused of. I guess it’s okay that she’s cheating on her nice guy fiancee, who merely has an Irish title -SHOCK, since she’s cheating with her ex-husband, the love of her life.
The H eventually finds out that his mother lied like a dog, and proposes. Barf. HUGE points off for the Black Widow evil MIL not getting any more of a real comeuppance. The H threatens to take away her allowance and ship her off to Northumbria, but doesn’t. He does promise to take the h to London and exonerate her which means revealing his mother’s evil plan, but I don’t have high hopes that will happen.
This is almost the exact same story as another Regency where the MIL sets up the DIL. In that one the H is on the verge of leaving for South America to search for plants or something at the end of the book. Anyone know the name?
Found it. It is Once a Duchess.
Well written and fleshed out, but few nice people. They either die or are pushed out.
The BAD
Evil Dowager MIL: needs to die painfully or get shunned by the Regency world
Hero: Momma’s boy and idiot.
Heroine: Starts out strong, then uses her nice suitor and cheats on him and still plans on marrying him
Eldest son: shows signs of snottiness with younger brother as his dead dadloved him better, but he’s a kid so he has a break
The GOOD
The Anglo-Irish fiancee
A couple of the servants
May 22, 2019
This sounds more angsty than it actually is.
I quite enjoyed it – but no great shakes either ways.
In the present, the H seems quite into the h and not even really angry, and suspicious of his mother’s version. So all the past melodrama seems just that – melodrama!
I quite enjoyed it – but no great shakes either ways.
In the present, the H seems quite into the h and not even really angry, and suspicious of his mother’s version. So all the past melodrama seems just that – melodrama!
September 1, 2016
3.5 rounded up
This was a bit more grounded than my usual OTT, wrecky fare.
The heroine was 18 and the hero 23 when their marriage exploded after only a year. The hero, Adrian, allowed his mother to convince him that Joanna was cheating on him. He should have known better because his mother was a snob who had always made it clear that Joanna was not fit to be the Duchess.
Joanna and Adrian were childhood friends who lived in neighboring estates along with Gareth (Gary). Gary was the one accused of having an affair with Joanna. Adrian believed this because he knew Gary had always loved Joanna, despite the fact that betraying his best friend was not in his character.
Joanna refused to defend herself. She was adamant that Adrian would trust her if he loved her. Well... he didn't trust her and started divorce proceedings. He was granted a divorce by the courts after his mother paid a maid to lie.
Joanna and Gary were pariahs and Joanna had realized she was pregnant as well. Gary married her and took her to Italy when she refused to tell Adrian about the baby or defend herself. Gary was a nice guy, but he was in love with Joanna and couldn't quite resist the opportunity to have her for himself.
She had a happy marriage with Gary, although it was more of a friendship. After giving birth to Adrian's son, she and Gary had a son several years later. He loved both of them and intended to make Adrian's son his heir as he was legally his child. Gary was then killed in a boating accident when the children were 5 and 2.
A year later Joanna moves back to England at her mother-in-law's urging so that her sons would be raised in England and the elder son, Justin, could inherit the title (Gary was an Earl).
Anyway, being neighbors with Adrian obviously puts them back in contact and he recognizes immediately that the oldest boy is his. Lots of anger, regret, and angst. Adrian had never loved another and now Joanna was back and he had a son.
As far as a grovel, there wasn't a huge one. Both of them had suffered a lot of pain and Adrian was sorry for initiating the divorce even when he still believed that Joanna was guilty of adultery. He wished he'd just forgiven her and let it go. I was a bit frustrated with Joanna for not just saying 'hell no, I didn't cheat on you'. Then again, she did everything but say that. This guy needed it spelled out for him. I think the idea that he'd been so wrong and lost so many years with her and his child were too much for him to bear. In some ways I feel it was easier for him to believe her a cheater and forgive her/take her back than to admit she was innocent and his actions had ruined her reputation and his life. I couldn't hate him. They had both been very young and stubborn.
I did enjoy the fact that Joanna didn't immediately fall back into his arms. He offered marriage several times and she turned him down. There was only one sex scene and that was late in the book.
Interesting story. The end did leave a lot up in the air about inheritance, etc. It was quite probable that Justin would never be officially recognized as Adrian's child and would remain Gary's heir while the younger son Robin (Gary's biological child) would not get the title. I felt like Adrian would do everything he could to care for both children, however. All in all I was happy with the couple's chances as they had both grown up a lot.
This was a bit more grounded than my usual OTT, wrecky fare.
The heroine was 18 and the hero 23 when their marriage exploded after only a year. The hero, Adrian, allowed his mother to convince him that Joanna was cheating on him. He should have known better because his mother was a snob who had always made it clear that Joanna was not fit to be the Duchess.
Joanna and Adrian were childhood friends who lived in neighboring estates along with Gareth (Gary). Gary was the one accused of having an affair with Joanna. Adrian believed this because he knew Gary had always loved Joanna, despite the fact that betraying his best friend was not in his character.
Joanna refused to defend herself. She was adamant that Adrian would trust her if he loved her. Well... he didn't trust her and started divorce proceedings. He was granted a divorce by the courts after his mother paid a maid to lie.
Joanna and Gary were pariahs and Joanna had realized she was pregnant as well. Gary married her and took her to Italy when she refused to tell Adrian about the baby or defend herself. Gary was a nice guy, but he was in love with Joanna and couldn't quite resist the opportunity to have her for himself.
She had a happy marriage with Gary, although it was more of a friendship. After giving birth to Adrian's son, she and Gary had a son several years later. He loved both of them and intended to make Adrian's son his heir as he was legally his child. Gary was then killed in a boating accident when the children were 5 and 2.
A year later Joanna moves back to England at her mother-in-law's urging so that her sons would be raised in England and the elder son, Justin, could inherit the title (Gary was an Earl).
Anyway, being neighbors with Adrian obviously puts them back in contact and he recognizes immediately that the oldest boy is his. Lots of anger, regret, and angst. Adrian had never loved another and now Joanna was back and he had a son.
As far as a grovel, there wasn't a huge one. Both of them had suffered a lot of pain and Adrian was sorry for initiating the divorce even when he still believed that Joanna was guilty of adultery. He wished he'd just forgiven her and let it go. I was a bit frustrated with Joanna for not just saying 'hell no, I didn't cheat on you'. Then again, she did everything but say that. This guy needed it spelled out for him. I think the idea that he'd been so wrong and lost so many years with her and his child were too much for him to bear. In some ways I feel it was easier for him to believe her a cheater and forgive her/take her back than to admit she was innocent and his actions had ruined her reputation and his life. I couldn't hate him. They had both been very young and stubborn.
I did enjoy the fact that Joanna didn't immediately fall back into his arms. He offered marriage several times and she turned him down. There was only one sex scene and that was late in the book.
Interesting story. The end did leave a lot up in the air about inheritance, etc. It was quite probable that Justin would never be officially recognized as Adrian's child and would remain Gary's heir while the younger son Robin (Gary's biological child) would not get the title. I felt like Adrian would do everything he could to care for both children, however. All in all I was happy with the couple's chances as they had both grown up a lot.
August 7, 2016
I don't get it? I tried this because this is a somewhat fresh premise for historical romances, but... I don't think it's for me.
Premise: heroine was divorced by her husband, a duke, because he believed that she was unfaithful to him, and having an affair with his best friend. She wasn't, but for completely unclear reasons declined to stand up for herself. Instead, she allowed him to divorce her, then fled the land with the best friend, who married her to save her. Years later, the best friend/husband has died, and she has returned to England with her two sons. Inconveniently, her late husband's estate is right next to her first husband's estate. Awkward!
Guys, I'm only 12% in and I don't know if I can do it. I HAVE CONCERNS:
*The prose is kinda mediocre. It's just overblown, melodramatic, very emo. The hero says things like "I'll not wed where there is no passion! You cannot ask a man who has known fire to be content with ice." To his mom. In 1816. I don't know, I just find this... I don't like it. Part of why I personally like to read Regency-set historicals is that I like to read about people who are fairly emotionally restrained, so that their restraint forms an enjoyable contrast with the actual romance feels. You know what I mean? Here, everything is right on the surface, instantly laid out for you, on the nose.
*I've spotted a couple of research issues. One is overlookable (she addresses her former husband, a duke, as "My lord", not "Your Grace" or "Duke" (which is probably the most accurate, given her own rank, but which sounds odd to us now.) but the main thing I feel confused about is... what does the book think about divorce law in England circa 1810?
To be granted a divorce was a long, scandalous, expensive process that required an act of Parliament. A man had to sue the man he believed his wife was cheating on him with for "criminal conversation". You couldn't just say "I divorce you! Get out!" and be done with it. This is an issue here because so far it seems that how this went down is that the villain (the dowager duchess/the hero's mom) never liked the heroine, and so lied to her son about catching her in the act of infidelity. Okay? But- wouldn't they have put the best friend/defendant on the stand, since he would have been sued for criminal conversation? Didn't anyone ask HIM if he was boning the young duchess? Was this whole divorce case settled purely on the claims of a single witness? And given how extremely scandalous (and rare) divorces were before English divorce law loosened up in the mid-1850s, I just find it really hard to believe that the dowager duchess' complaints about the unsuitability of the heroine (who is a baron's daughter, if not the duke's match in breeding or wealth... I mean, she's of their own social class) would really result in her making such an extremely bold decision. Anyway, divorce! The book, so far, doesn't make me feel that the author knows what she's talking about.
*Issues with the oldest kid and inheritance law. (Barely a spoiler, since it is revealed so early, but still, I'll tag it.
*Because of how ruinous divorce was for women, I find it highly implausible that a woman who'd been happily (and faithfully) married until an accusation of infidelity wouldn't deny it and defend herself vigorously. Sure, your feelings are hurt that your jerk husband believed false accusations. But are your feelings really SO hurt that you're going to take your and flee the country, accepting that you will be an outcast from polite society for the rest of your life? I mean... wow, that's really passive-aggressive!
*Emotional intelligence issues all around. So both hero and heroine make these weird choices instead of communicating honestly with the person they're supposed to be in love with, which is not great. When we meet them in the book's present day, I was kind of troubled by how emotionally dismissive the heroine is of her oldest son's pain at the loss of his father. She's very "Get over it" to him. He's FIVE. When he meets the duke, he tells him that his mom wants him to get over his father's death, but he can't, and the duke is like "Of course you can't." This was the only moment I liked or appreciated anyone in the book. Otherwise, they all feel emotionally dumb and stunted to me, so that screaming and weeping replaces any actual emotional understanding or insight, and I don't really understand how they could get back together in non-crazy ways, or why I should want them to.
I don't know? This sounded like a fun, new, angsty premise, but I'm very underwhelmed. I only want to keep reading because now I really want to know who "the duke's double" actually is. What does that mean? How can I find out without reading this whole book?
Premise: heroine was divorced by her husband, a duke, because he believed that she was unfaithful to him, and having an affair with his best friend. She wasn't, but for completely unclear reasons declined to stand up for herself. Instead, she allowed him to divorce her, then fled the land with the best friend, who married her to save her. Years later, the best friend/husband has died, and she has returned to England with her two sons. Inconveniently, her late husband's estate is right next to her first husband's estate. Awkward!
Guys, I'm only 12% in and I don't know if I can do it. I HAVE CONCERNS:
*The prose is kinda mediocre. It's just overblown, melodramatic, very emo. The hero says things like "I'll not wed where there is no passion! You cannot ask a man who has known fire to be content with ice." To his mom. In 1816. I don't know, I just find this... I don't like it. Part of why I personally like to read Regency-set historicals is that I like to read about people who are fairly emotionally restrained, so that their restraint forms an enjoyable contrast with the actual romance feels. You know what I mean? Here, everything is right on the surface, instantly laid out for you, on the nose.
*I've spotted a couple of research issues. One is overlookable (she addresses her former husband, a duke, as "My lord", not "Your Grace" or "Duke" (which is probably the most accurate, given her own rank, but which sounds odd to us now.) but the main thing I feel confused about is... what does the book think about divorce law in England circa 1810?
To be granted a divorce was a long, scandalous, expensive process that required an act of Parliament. A man had to sue the man he believed his wife was cheating on him with for "criminal conversation". You couldn't just say "I divorce you! Get out!" and be done with it. This is an issue here because so far it seems that how this went down is that the villain (the dowager duchess/the hero's mom) never liked the heroine, and so lied to her son about catching her in the act of infidelity. Okay? But- wouldn't they have put the best friend/defendant on the stand, since he would have been sued for criminal conversation? Didn't anyone ask HIM if he was boning the young duchess? Was this whole divorce case settled purely on the claims of a single witness? And given how extremely scandalous (and rare) divorces were before English divorce law loosened up in the mid-1850s, I just find it really hard to believe that the dowager duchess' complaints about the unsuitability of the heroine (who is a baron's daughter, if not the duke's match in breeding or wealth... I mean, she's of their own social class) would really result in her making such an extremely bold decision. Anyway, divorce! The book, so far, doesn't make me feel that the author knows what she's talking about.
*Issues with the oldest kid and inheritance law. (Barely a spoiler, since it is revealed so early, but still, I'll tag it.
*Because of how ruinous divorce was for women, I find it highly implausible that a woman who'd been happily (and faithfully) married until an accusation of infidelity wouldn't deny it and defend herself vigorously. Sure, your feelings are hurt that your jerk husband believed false accusations. But are your feelings really SO hurt that you're going to take your and flee the country, accepting that you will be an outcast from polite society for the rest of your life? I mean... wow, that's really passive-aggressive!
*Emotional intelligence issues all around. So both hero and heroine make these weird choices instead of communicating honestly with the person they're supposed to be in love with, which is not great. When we meet them in the book's present day, I was kind of troubled by how emotionally dismissive the heroine is of her oldest son's pain at the loss of his father. She's very "Get over it" to him. He's FIVE. When he meets the duke, he tells him that his mom wants him to get over his father's death, but he can't, and the duke is like "Of course you can't." This was the only moment I liked or appreciated anyone in the book. Otherwise, they all feel emotionally dumb and stunted to me, so that screaming and weeping replaces any actual emotional understanding or insight, and I don't really understand how they could get back together in non-crazy ways, or why I should want them to.
I don't know? This sounded like a fun, new, angsty premise, but I'm very underwhelmed. I only want to keep reading because now I really want to know who "the duke's double" actually is. What does that mean? How can I find out without reading this whole book?
February 2, 2025
3.5 stars. Adrian is a prat for believing his mother's lies over his wife, Jo which led to their divorce. Jo should have stood up for herself rather than keeping silent.
November 27, 2010
From the back cover:
They were caught in a storm of reckless love, torn between an unforgiving past and a future of unforgettable passion...
Once, she had fled a hostile world to live in exile on Capri. Now, the widowed Joanna Sherwood's only recourse is to return to her native England, to the scandal that destroyed her, to a society that shunned her, and to the one man who brought about her downfall: Adrian Delacourt, the Duke of Roxbury, her first husband, her first love, and the father of her beloved son....
But something else is awaiting Joanna: a sanctuary she never dreamed possible--and an elusive happiness found only in the irresistible embrace of her loving enemy....
And my review:
I really enjoyed Anita Mills' novella THE CHRISTMAS STRANGER, found in Harlequin's Christmas Rogues collection. So when I came across a bunch of her books, I immediately snapped them up. But I was disappointed in THE DUKE'S DOUBLE.
The book had amazing promise. This premise was a fresh one, not something that's been done to death. The writing is engaging and flowing. So what's the problem? The characters--they all drove me nuts! The things they did made no sense!
For example, when the hero accused the heroine of adultery with his best friend, what did she do? Nothing! She didn't bother to say one word in her own defense, even after the hero started divorce proceedings. The explanation for this was that the heroine was so hurt that the hero would even question her that she didn't want to dignify it with an answer. Uh....what? Yes, I totally understand why that would hurt, but if it had been me, I would have been protesting my innocence to anyone who would listen. I would not just stand there, say nothing, and make myself look guilty. And later, even when the hero keeps accusing her, giving her numerous chances to set the record straight, she just keeps reiterating that it's "all in the past". Again, wouldn't any normal woman scream, "I never cheated on you! How can you even think that of me?"
The hero drove me crazy with the way he believed his mother's lies without bothering to question them, even though he knew that his mother hated the heroine. Wouldn't that make you think that she might have a motive to lie? Plus the heavy-handed way he tries to take the heroine's son from her when he finds out that he is the father made me really dislike him.
Also, the hero's mother told her lies because she hated the heroine and wanted to get rid of her (because she wasn't "worthy" of being a duchess). Okay, but your son getting a divorce is okay? Maybe in today's modern times, but in Regency times, the scandal would have been devastating to the entire family. Yet that's never really explored.
And the son, Justin, always saying that "papa loved me best". And no one bothers to correct him, even though he repeatedly says it in front of his younger brother. Talk about a good way to make his younger brother feel worthless. I wanted to give Justin a good spanking. Just because you lost a parent at a young age does not give you a free pass to act like a spoiled brat. And it should be noted that the younger brother (Robin) had lost his father too, yet he was a total sweetheart. I think he was one of the only few characters I liked in this book, but unfortunately, he played a very minor part.
I never really felt like Adrian and Joanna should be together. If their love was so fragile before, why should I believe that it will last this time? I felt that the heroine picked the wrong man--I would have much rather seen her with Johnny, the man she gets engaged to during the course of this book.
Not recommended, unless you are a hard-core fan of Anita Mills and are determined to read her entire backlist.
They were caught in a storm of reckless love, torn between an unforgiving past and a future of unforgettable passion...
Once, she had fled a hostile world to live in exile on Capri. Now, the widowed Joanna Sherwood's only recourse is to return to her native England, to the scandal that destroyed her, to a society that shunned her, and to the one man who brought about her downfall: Adrian Delacourt, the Duke of Roxbury, her first husband, her first love, and the father of her beloved son....
But something else is awaiting Joanna: a sanctuary she never dreamed possible--and an elusive happiness found only in the irresistible embrace of her loving enemy....
And my review:
I really enjoyed Anita Mills' novella THE CHRISTMAS STRANGER, found in Harlequin's Christmas Rogues collection. So when I came across a bunch of her books, I immediately snapped them up. But I was disappointed in THE DUKE'S DOUBLE.
The book had amazing promise. This premise was a fresh one, not something that's been done to death. The writing is engaging and flowing. So what's the problem? The characters--they all drove me nuts! The things they did made no sense!
For example, when the hero accused the heroine of adultery with his best friend, what did she do? Nothing! She didn't bother to say one word in her own defense, even after the hero started divorce proceedings. The explanation for this was that the heroine was so hurt that the hero would even question her that she didn't want to dignify it with an answer. Uh....what? Yes, I totally understand why that would hurt, but if it had been me, I would have been protesting my innocence to anyone who would listen. I would not just stand there, say nothing, and make myself look guilty. And later, even when the hero keeps accusing her, giving her numerous chances to set the record straight, she just keeps reiterating that it's "all in the past". Again, wouldn't any normal woman scream, "I never cheated on you! How can you even think that of me?"
The hero drove me crazy with the way he believed his mother's lies without bothering to question them, even though he knew that his mother hated the heroine. Wouldn't that make you think that she might have a motive to lie? Plus the heavy-handed way he tries to take the heroine's son from her when he finds out that he is the father made me really dislike him.
Also, the hero's mother told her lies because she hated the heroine and wanted to get rid of her (because she wasn't "worthy" of being a duchess). Okay, but your son getting a divorce is okay? Maybe in today's modern times, but in Regency times, the scandal would have been devastating to the entire family. Yet that's never really explored.
And the son, Justin, always saying that "papa loved me best". And no one bothers to correct him, even though he repeatedly says it in front of his younger brother. Talk about a good way to make his younger brother feel worthless. I wanted to give Justin a good spanking. Just because you lost a parent at a young age does not give you a free pass to act like a spoiled brat. And it should be noted that the younger brother (Robin) had lost his father too, yet he was a total sweetheart. I think he was one of the only few characters I liked in this book, but unfortunately, he played a very minor part.
I never really felt like Adrian and Joanna should be together. If their love was so fragile before, why should I believe that it will last this time? I felt that the heroine picked the wrong man--I would have much rather seen her with Johnny, the man she gets engaged to during the course of this book.
Not recommended, unless you are a hard-core fan of Anita Mills and are determined to read her entire backlist.
August 19, 2010
This book has been in my TBR pile for a long time. I first put it there because it was a second chance at love story and I like those. However, when I discovered that in this regency set story the h/h get a divorce, then she marries his best friend and after he dies they get back together again I started thinking this might be a bit too much like a soap opera.
I'm afraid that in the end I found just so. The basic plot was that Adrian's mother, the dowager Duchess, had never accepted his marriage to Joanna and so had managed to convince her son that his wife was unfaithful. This sounded a bit odd to my ears because at the time I would have thought anything was preferable then having your family go through a divorce but Adrian's mother seems quite happy with the result. Joanna refused to defend herself - wounded pride and all that - and eventually, when she found herself pregnant, accepted the marriage proposal of the friend who had been cited for adultery with her in the divorce proceedings. They left England for Capri where they have lived happily but now that he is dead Joanna and her two sons return to England. Since her late husband's estate neighbours Adrian's lands they immediately meet even if till then Adrian had not set foot there since his divorce.
I had trouble believing that faced with the initial charges of adultery Joanna had preferred to keep silent instead of denying them. Hurt pride is one thing but this is too serious, in my opinion, to just accept passively. Then, while Adrian was totally influenced by his mother when she discredited Joanna he is now completely free of that influence. I had trouble believing that the Adrian we met in the book would ever be so dependent of his mother and that if he was like that, that he had managed to get totally free of her influence as we now see. I know he has a wakeup call when he sees he has a son (not really a spoiler has this comes up early in the story) but it seemed a change too abrupt to be true. Besides it annoyed me to no end that despite all that he did to Joanna she kept calling him Dree, the affectionate name she had for him while they were growing up and married.
So, my worries about the plot were founded, I couldn't understand the characters and their decisions. And I didn't even mention that Joanna accepts another proposal of marriage after having met the gentleman in question just 2 or 3 times. I kept wondering if another writer would have made me believe in this story, it is an original premise after all, but written like this it just didn't work for me.
Grade: 3/5
I'm afraid that in the end I found just so. The basic plot was that Adrian's mother, the dowager Duchess, had never accepted his marriage to Joanna and so had managed to convince her son that his wife was unfaithful. This sounded a bit odd to my ears because at the time I would have thought anything was preferable then having your family go through a divorce but Adrian's mother seems quite happy with the result. Joanna refused to defend herself - wounded pride and all that - and eventually, when she found herself pregnant, accepted the marriage proposal of the friend who had been cited for adultery with her in the divorce proceedings. They left England for Capri where they have lived happily but now that he is dead Joanna and her two sons return to England. Since her late husband's estate neighbours Adrian's lands they immediately meet even if till then Adrian had not set foot there since his divorce.
I had trouble believing that faced with the initial charges of adultery Joanna had preferred to keep silent instead of denying them. Hurt pride is one thing but this is too serious, in my opinion, to just accept passively. Then, while Adrian was totally influenced by his mother when she discredited Joanna he is now completely free of that influence. I had trouble believing that the Adrian we met in the book would ever be so dependent of his mother and that if he was like that, that he had managed to get totally free of her influence as we now see. I know he has a wakeup call when he sees he has a son (not really a spoiler has this comes up early in the story) but it seemed a change too abrupt to be true. Besides it annoyed me to no end that despite all that he did to Joanna she kept calling him Dree, the affectionate name she had for him while they were growing up and married.
So, my worries about the plot were founded, I couldn't understand the characters and their decisions. And I didn't even mention that Joanna accepts another proposal of marriage after having met the gentleman in question just 2 or 3 times. I kept wondering if another writer would have made me believe in this story, it is an original premise after all, but written like this it just didn't work for me.
Grade: 3/5
February 13, 2014
2/5; 2 stars; C
Years ago I was working my way through several lists of favorite romances I had found on the Internet, in my quest for 'the best of the best historicals'. This book had great reviews on both The Romance Reader site, and Mrs. Giggles. I could never find the book but, now that ebooks have exploded on the scene, Ms Mills has re-published many older books in kindle format so I managed to get my hands on this one.
There is something I know about myself. I do not like characters who act like martyrs and I really don't like characters who are too proud to talk about their problems or really make much effort to protect what they say is important to them. Unfortunately, this book, though very well written, was a complete bomb for me because of those factors.
Joanna Sherwood seemed like a nice enough person
Adrian was supposedly a smart man
Joanna, Adrien and Gareth had been friends for most of their lives
Adrian was, in theory, feeling remorseful when Joanna returned and realized he still 'loved' her
Maybe part of my disappointment is due to the fact that I recently read Lord of Scoundrels again and, in that, had such a shining example of people trying to talk about and work out their problems and behaving with maturity (most of the time) that this book looked really bad up against it.
Anyway, enough ranting. This book was very well written and I would try something else by this author but the characters annoyed me to no end.
Years ago I was working my way through several lists of favorite romances I had found on the Internet, in my quest for 'the best of the best historicals'. This book had great reviews on both The Romance Reader site, and Mrs. Giggles. I could never find the book but, now that ebooks have exploded on the scene, Ms Mills has re-published many older books in kindle format so I managed to get my hands on this one.
There is something I know about myself. I do not like characters who act like martyrs and I really don't like characters who are too proud to talk about their problems or really make much effort to protect what they say is important to them. Unfortunately, this book, though very well written, was a complete bomb for me because of those factors.
Joanna Sherwood seemed like a nice enough person
Adrian was supposedly a smart man
Joanna, Adrien and Gareth had been friends for most of their lives
Adrian was, in theory, feeling remorseful when Joanna returned and realized he still 'loved' her
Maybe part of my disappointment is due to the fact that I recently read Lord of Scoundrels again and, in that, had such a shining example of people trying to talk about and work out their problems and behaving with maturity (most of the time) that this book looked really bad up against it.
Anyway, enough ranting. This book was very well written and I would try something else by this author but the characters annoyed me to no end.
January 7, 2018
Joanna was married to Andrian who is a duke. His mother doesn’t agree and after a year of marriage, spreads a tale about Joanna having an affair with the couple’s best friend Gary. They get a divorce without her trying to deny the tale. She marries Gary and they move to Italy.
The first chapter finds Gary dead and his mother trying to convince Joanna to move back to England with her two children. Of course she follows her advice and meets Adrian again.
I like the author’s writing style but this story, with the great misunderstanding, was difficult to accept. The couple had no chemistry at all and I am not so sure about their HEA.
The first chapter finds Gary dead and his mother trying to convince Joanna to move back to England with her two children. Of course she follows her advice and meets Adrian again.
I like the author’s writing style but this story, with the great misunderstanding, was difficult to accept. The couple had no chemistry at all and I am not so sure about their HEA.
July 18, 2015
Marvellous. Lots of what we romance readers call "angst", and quite unputdownable. Sigh-worthy ending, all the loose ends nicely tied up. My only quibbles with the story are that the heroine Joanna is maybe too much of a "watering pot" (although she has good reasons to cry) and the villain of the story doesn't really get a good comeupance.
Big hugs to Rane who sent me the book!
Big hugs to Rane who sent me the book!
January 4, 2018
leído en Dic 2012
No sé porqué pero en el tiempo en que lo leí me gustó.... no sé si fue todo el drama pero me pareció bueno y entretenido!! Tendría que leerlo nuevamente para ver que puntuación le pongo ahora que he leído una buena cantidad de libros....
Reseña:
El doble del duque.
La hermosa Johanna Sherwood, condesa de Carew, estuvo locamente enamorada de Adrian Delacourt, el oscuro atractivo, y devastadoramente encantador Duque de Roxbury. Eso fue antes de casarse con él. Eso fue antes de que él mostrara su verdadera naturaleza cuando la acusó de infidelidad arrastrado su nombre por el fango. Eso fue antes de que ella huyera a Italia con el mejor amigo de Adrian, Gareth Sherwood, quien la rescató de la ruina total de su divorcio al hacerla su esposa. Ahora Johanna ha regresado a Inglaterra como una viuda joven encantadora sólo para descubrir que nada ha cambiado. El escándalo injusto todavía envuelve su nombre y el amor imposible aún ardía en su corazón. Johanna sabía muy bien que no debería dudar en la elección entre el Duque de Roxbury y Lord John Barrasford. El duque era exactamente como ella lo recordaba de su breve y desastroso matrimonio, arrogante, desconfiado, implacable e impaciente por creer lo peor de ella rechazando oír sus explicaciones. Lord John Barrasford era todo lo contrario atento, comprensivo, elogiándola y comprometiéndose hacerla la más feliz de las mujeres. Obviamente esto no debería hacerla dudar: volver con el terrible duque o abrir sus brazos y corazón a la adoración que le profesaba Barrasford.
No sé porqué pero en el tiempo en que lo leí me gustó.... no sé si fue todo el drama pero me pareció bueno y entretenido!! Tendría que leerlo nuevamente para ver que puntuación le pongo ahora que he leído una buena cantidad de libros....
Reseña:
El doble del duque.
La hermosa Johanna Sherwood, condesa de Carew, estuvo locamente enamorada de Adrian Delacourt, el oscuro atractivo, y devastadoramente encantador Duque de Roxbury. Eso fue antes de casarse con él. Eso fue antes de que él mostrara su verdadera naturaleza cuando la acusó de infidelidad arrastrado su nombre por el fango. Eso fue antes de que ella huyera a Italia con el mejor amigo de Adrian, Gareth Sherwood, quien la rescató de la ruina total de su divorcio al hacerla su esposa. Ahora Johanna ha regresado a Inglaterra como una viuda joven encantadora sólo para descubrir que nada ha cambiado. El escándalo injusto todavía envuelve su nombre y el amor imposible aún ardía en su corazón. Johanna sabía muy bien que no debería dudar en la elección entre el Duque de Roxbury y Lord John Barrasford. El duque era exactamente como ella lo recordaba de su breve y desastroso matrimonio, arrogante, desconfiado, implacable e impaciente por creer lo peor de ella rechazando oír sus explicaciones. Lord John Barrasford era todo lo contrario atento, comprensivo, elogiándola y comprometiéndose hacerla la más feliz de las mujeres. Obviamente esto no debería hacerla dudar: volver con el terrible duque o abrir sus brazos y corazón a la adoración que le profesaba Barrasford.
April 19, 2013
This is not a review but a rant:
I hate the snot-brat kid, Justin. He is stubborn, arrogant, and annoying like his father, hence the the title. The heroine could have many better men (Gary and Johnny) but she chose the stupid Duke. I just can't wrap my mind around it. I can't even sympathize with her because she never defended herself before, during, or after the misunderstanding. o_O; I mean...it took 257 pages and the hero to go and find out the truth in order to learn that she never cheated for him. He asked her multiple times and all she said was .....blah blah, it's all in the past. WTF!!!! I was looking forward to groveling, heart-breaking apology, and the evil mother to be punished but I was cheated. I hate this book because I can't even like any of the characters. The only one I did like was Gary and he's dead from page one...
I hate the snot-brat kid, Justin. He is stubborn, arrogant, and annoying like his father, hence the the title. The heroine could have many better men (Gary and Johnny) but she chose the stupid Duke. I just can't wrap my mind around it. I can't even sympathize with her because she never defended herself before, during, or after the misunderstanding. o_O; I mean...it took 257 pages and the hero to go and find out the truth in order to learn that she never cheated for him. He asked her multiple times and all she said was .....blah blah, it's all in the past. WTF!!!! I was looking forward to groveling, heart-breaking apology, and the evil mother to be punished but I was cheated. I hate this book because I can't even like any of the characters. The only one I did like was Gary and he's dead from page one...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2013
Despite an ugly divorce granted by Parliament and social ruination for the heroine, love eventually reunites the lovers. But this, only after the stubborn machinations of a very cruel villainess! Fun!
February 4, 2016
Wonderful tale of a love triangle, mistrust and betrayal.
November 17, 2018
Muito bom, mas, para mim, ficou faltando algo...
Tenho que ser sincera. Estou numa fase que fujo de livros muito pesados, com temas muito polêmicos ou realmente fortes, a não ser que sejam narrados de forma leve como o que antes deste. E este ano estou sendo premiada em minhas escolhas de leitura. A maioria me encantou e este não ficou de fora.
Nunca tinha lido nada da Anita Mills e espero poder ler mais. Mais um livro que me prendeu a atenção por várias razões.
1- Crianças no enredo... isso me cativa
2- Personagens atraentes e interessantes
3- Narrativa coerente e fluente
Todas essas razões me fizeram gostar muito desse livro.
Adrian Delacourt, o Duque de Roxbury, é um homem lindo, poderoso, mas influenciado por sua mãe. Ele e seu amigo Gareth, Conde de Carew, são totalmente apaixonados por sua amiga de infância Johanna, filha de um Barão empobrecido.
Adrian é o grande amor de Johanna e ela se casa com ele, mas, depois de um ano, é cruelmente acusada de infidelidade e humilhada com um divórcio.
Ela foge para Itália e se casa com seu amigo Gareth. Depois de 6 anos, viúva, retorna a Inglaterra com seus 2 filhos e sua sogra.
Essa volta trará várias descobertas, revelações e conquistas.
No início, pelo nome, fiz uma ideia totalmente diferente e errônea do tema do livro.
Adorei o enredo e a forma como foi colocado e só não dei 5 estrelas porque, quando terminei, fiquei com a sensação de que faltava algo... como é uma série, talvez eu encontre esse algo em outro volume..., mas essa sensação ficou então... dei as 4 estrelas. E recomendo a leitura...
Tenho que ser sincera. Estou numa fase que fujo de livros muito pesados, com temas muito polêmicos ou realmente fortes, a não ser que sejam narrados de forma leve como o que antes deste. E este ano estou sendo premiada em minhas escolhas de leitura. A maioria me encantou e este não ficou de fora.
Nunca tinha lido nada da Anita Mills e espero poder ler mais. Mais um livro que me prendeu a atenção por várias razões.
1- Crianças no enredo... isso me cativa
2- Personagens atraentes e interessantes
3- Narrativa coerente e fluente
Todas essas razões me fizeram gostar muito desse livro.
Adrian Delacourt, o Duque de Roxbury, é um homem lindo, poderoso, mas influenciado por sua mãe. Ele e seu amigo Gareth, Conde de Carew, são totalmente apaixonados por sua amiga de infância Johanna, filha de um Barão empobrecido.
Adrian é o grande amor de Johanna e ela se casa com ele, mas, depois de um ano, é cruelmente acusada de infidelidade e humilhada com um divórcio.
Ela foge para Itália e se casa com seu amigo Gareth. Depois de 6 anos, viúva, retorna a Inglaterra com seus 2 filhos e sua sogra.
Essa volta trará várias descobertas, revelações e conquistas.
No início, pelo nome, fiz uma ideia totalmente diferente e errônea do tema do livro.
Adorei o enredo e a forma como foi colocado e só não dei 5 estrelas porque, quando terminei, fiquei com a sensação de que faltava algo... como é uma série, talvez eu encontre esse algo em outro volume..., mas essa sensação ficou então... dei as 4 estrelas. E recomendo a leitura...
July 5, 2025
God, I needed this book. No extra nonsense, everything worked towards the plot, high emotion and drama. Romance genre on POINT.
October 13, 2016
I’m a spoiler. Not because I want to discourage/encourage anyone in reading this book. I just want to write the highlights for me to remember by in the future. (There are really instances when I forgot about the story and I don’t want to waste my time in re-reading books that have bad plots.)
I did not like how the characters reacted to some issues. My goodness! I do not get why H did not listen to h in the first place. And if h really loved H, she should have done anything to make him listen to her. She was pregnant by her husband, the H. And because of the event (i cant remember exactly what) she ran off with the bestfriend (3 of them were buddies since young) and married the guy. Then the bestfriend died and she came back to England. Then H and h rekindled their love blah blah.
Both guys were in loved with the h
3 of them were bestfriends but H was stubborn not to listen to them.
I DO NOT GET THE ENTIRE PLOT (or I am too dense in understanding the complexity of it all).
October 20, 2010
Marvelous and angsty. The hero is divorced from the heroine. Yes, really. She remarries and when her second husband dies, she returns to England. To say more would give away the story. A must read.
Edited to say I'm not sure why it isn't on my keeper shelf. I "think" that Mills wrote a Regency which was re-written slightly and then republished. Not sure but I think so.
Edited to say I'm not sure why it isn't on my keeper shelf. I "think" that Mills wrote a Regency which was re-written slightly and then republished. Not sure but I think so.
July 3, 2019
Right, so I read it all the way up to the point where Justin goes missing and Joanna rides to confront Adrian at his house because she thinks he’s behind it, and then I realised I couldn’t stomach it anymore because all in all, she was a horrible, really horrible mother.
Come on, woman. For someone who claims she really loves her boys and would do anything for them, she sure doesn’t seem to be that distraught when she realises that her five year old, repeat, FIVE YEAR OLD, boy is missing, across a HUGE parcel of not just one, but three properties, with a bloody river bisecting it. And then she can get all sexed up and tingly when Adrian (I can’t remember exactly) kisses the line of her shoulder or something, in the MIDDLE of her furious interrogation where she apparently loses the urgency to find the boy. I lost respect for her after that.
I was really invested in this book, I must point out. The premise was delightful, and Joanna was likeable enough until little cracks started to show. Like when she accepted Lord Barrasford’s proposal although she was apparently guilty as hell over making use of Gareth in pretty much the same way.
But despite everything, I cannot abide it when a woman with young children who are in danger can forget about them in a heartbeat because some hot ass guy gives her the sexies.
Also.
1) Adrian is a giant man-child.
2) I detested how she called him Dree. I found it emasculating. It’s the way the word spells I think.
3) Justin wasn’t much of a loveable child either. I hated how he kept to the “papa loves me most” drivel. And no one corrects him. I assumed it was set up for some giant explanation in the end, but reading other people’s reviews assured me that it’s not the case. Therefore, I persist in my hatred.
4) The whole “I need passion” crap. Grow up, people. Passion doesn’t drive a marriage. Honestly, I found myself rooting for Gareth (the dead husband) more than Joanna and “Dree”.
Come on, woman. For someone who claims she really loves her boys and would do anything for them, she sure doesn’t seem to be that distraught when she realises that her five year old, repeat, FIVE YEAR OLD, boy is missing, across a HUGE parcel of not just one, but three properties, with a bloody river bisecting it. And then she can get all sexed up and tingly when Adrian (I can’t remember exactly) kisses the line of her shoulder or something, in the MIDDLE of her furious interrogation where she apparently loses the urgency to find the boy. I lost respect for her after that.
I was really invested in this book, I must point out. The premise was delightful, and Joanna was likeable enough until little cracks started to show. Like when she accepted Lord Barrasford’s proposal although she was apparently guilty as hell over making use of Gareth in pretty much the same way.
But despite everything, I cannot abide it when a woman with young children who are in danger can forget about them in a heartbeat because some hot ass guy gives her the sexies.
Also.
1) Adrian is a giant man-child.
2) I detested how she called him Dree. I found it emasculating. It’s the way the word spells I think.
3) Justin wasn’t much of a loveable child either. I hated how he kept to the “papa loves me most” drivel. And no one corrects him. I assumed it was set up for some giant explanation in the end, but reading other people’s reviews assured me that it’s not the case. Therefore, I persist in my hatred.
4) The whole “I need passion” crap. Grow up, people. Passion doesn’t drive a marriage. Honestly, I found myself rooting for Gareth (the dead husband) more than Joanna and “Dree”.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2025
2/5 ratings
I don’t get it? I picked this up because the premise sounded fresh and angsty—divorced duchess returns years later with her dead best friend’s kids (oh, wait, one’s actually the duke’s secret heir?) and has to live next to the husband who threw her out. Sounds juicy, right? But... I don’t think it’s for me.
First off, the drama is so over-the-top it feels like a soap opera, but not in the fun, binge-worthy way. The hero is all fire-and-brimstone, spewing lines like, “I’ll not wed where there is no passion!” (Sir, calm down, it’s 1816🙄). The heroine, on the other hand, has the emotional intelligence of a brick—she doesn’t defend herself when falsely accused, just packs up and leaves like that’s a reasonable response. And don’t get me started on the historical accuracy; let’s just say English divorce laws didn’t work like that.
The mother-in-law? Absolute villain material, but she doesn’t even get a proper comeuppance. The second love interest? Wasted potential. And the resolution? Meh. If you’re here for angst and betrayal, you might enjoy the ride, but for me, it was more frustrating than satisfying.
I don’t get it? I picked this up because the premise sounded fresh and angsty—divorced duchess returns years later with her dead best friend’s kids (oh, wait, one’s actually the duke’s secret heir?) and has to live next to the husband who threw her out. Sounds juicy, right? But... I don’t think it’s for me.
First off, the drama is so over-the-top it feels like a soap opera, but not in the fun, binge-worthy way. The hero is all fire-and-brimstone, spewing lines like, “I’ll not wed where there is no passion!” (Sir, calm down, it’s 1816🙄). The heroine, on the other hand, has the emotional intelligence of a brick—she doesn’t defend herself when falsely accused, just packs up and leaves like that’s a reasonable response. And don’t get me started on the historical accuracy; let’s just say English divorce laws didn’t work like that.
The mother-in-law? Absolute villain material, but she doesn’t even get a proper comeuppance. The second love interest? Wasted potential. And the resolution? Meh. If you’re here for angst and betrayal, you might enjoy the ride, but for me, it was more frustrating than satisfying.
February 16, 2018
This is a new author for me and I think I'd like to read/listen to more of her stories and get to know her writing voice. This story is only the start to my knowing her.
The trope of second chance at love has been done before and will be done again, but for the divorced couple who've heart each other so deeply, I thought it unique. As I listened to both sides of the story and point of views, I had to keep in mind that at the time of their separation, these were very young people, Jo was barely eighteen and Dri all of twenty-four. Their marriage was just starting when his mother decided to interfere, manipulate and destroy their love.
There's a lot I liked about the story, from the characters to the plot and pace. I really enjoyed the interaction between the children, their Governess and all the secondary players.
I also liked the narration of Rosalind Ashford.
I think this is a perfect story to get introduced to a new author and I'm looking forward to listening to the rest of the series.
Melanie for b2b
September 19, 2019
Joanna Sherwood is 25 with 2 small boys and newly widowed in Capri. Her oldest son Justin is her first husband's, Adrian Dalacourt, Duke of Roxbury. When Adrian believed his mother's false accusations of adultery and divorced Jo making her a pariah in England, she married their childhood friend Gary Sherwood and he took her and their unborn child to Capri. When Gary dies, his mother persuades Jo to return to England for the boys sake. She doesn't count on the Duke being in residence or on him recognizing the boy as his son. To escape having Justin taken away she betrothes herself to a good friend. When Justin has a compound leg fracture and complications, they pull together to get him through and the truth finally comes out. Fast paced, mostly clean.
September 13, 2021
This wasn't bad just a tad bit unrealistic, what with everyone just falling in love with everyone else at the drop of a hat.
Personally I feel bad for Gareth, because let's be honest, he deserved better. I didn't dislike Joanna but I didn't feel as much as I should have for her plight. Adrian was a dumbass. The fact that he didn't believe Joanna after receiving the watch case from Anne but instead still had to go find the maid to hear the whole story before he could ask for forgiveness just didn't sit right with me. The fact that Joanna forgives him the moment he asks for forgiveness in part because her other option left was a disappointment.
All in all this wasn't bad just seemed to be missing something for me.
Personally I feel bad for Gareth, because let's be honest, he deserved better. I didn't dislike Joanna but I didn't feel as much as I should have for her plight. Adrian was a dumbass. The fact that he didn't believe Joanna after receiving the watch case from Anne but instead still had to go find the maid to hear the whole story before he could ask for forgiveness just didn't sit right with me. The fact that Joanna forgives him the moment he asks for forgiveness in part because her other option left was a disappointment.
All in all this wasn't bad just seemed to be missing something for me.
September 11, 2021
Story revolves around the H/h who have been married close to a year. The MIL (monster-in-law in this case) informs the H that his wife was seen canoodling with his best friend. He divorces her and she runs to his best friend for help. The best friend marries her for support since she is pregnant with the H’s baby (surprise), but later dies in a freak accident. H and h are thrown back into each others lives and explore their issues and pain.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this lovely book. Emotionally touching, mildly angsty but very cleverly developed plot.
I did think, however, that the H didn’t grovel as much as he deserved to!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2018
Sé que tiendo a ser generosa con las estrellitas pero esta novela no está nada mal. La historia es consistente, y el problema se entiende. La única pega es la descripción exhaustiva de la enfermedad del hijo que se hace excesiva en el detalle, sin embargo, encaja perfectamente en el desarrollo de la historia que avanza con solidez, no como otras novelas que pretenden crear angustia en base a tonterias. Mills escribe muy bien.
July 16, 2024
3.5
As angry as they make me, I'm always interested in a story with a meddling mother-in-law. After being accused of adultery and with a ruined reputation, newly divorced Joanna flees to Italy with her and her ex-husband's childhood best friend Gary. And, of course, Jo is forced to return to society, and ex-husband Adrian, who was so quick to push her out. The prose was very simple and overall, a quick and easy read; I had to double-check when this was published.
As angry as they make me, I'm always interested in a story with a meddling mother-in-law. After being accused of adultery and with a ruined reputation, newly divorced Joanna flees to Italy with her and her ex-husband's childhood best friend Gary. And, of course, Jo is forced to return to society, and ex-husband Adrian, who was so quick to push her out. The prose was very simple and overall, a quick and easy read; I had to double-check when this was published.
May 11, 2022
Good Writing, But Bad Premise
I’ve never read this author before. She has talent. The characters were memorable. It was an enjoyable read. I just couldn’t get beyond a key aspect of the plot involving the paternity of the young sons. It was treated so cavalierly —when in actuality, for the time period, it would be disastrous.
I’ve never read this author before. She has talent. The characters were memorable. It was an enjoyable read. I just couldn’t get beyond a key aspect of the plot involving the paternity of the young sons. It was treated so cavalierly —when in actuality, for the time period, it would be disastrous.
July 17, 2025
Started off interesting. It definitely gave you the feels but the Duke’s constant thinking she needed forgiveness and then needed to search out the truth to see reason was annoying. His mom never really got her comeuppance, Jonny and Ms. Finch was too fast and unbelievable, and it took several hundred pages of build up between Aiden and Jo to be solved in 2 paragraphs at the end.
August 20, 2022
One of my favorite romance books of all time. Could not remember the title or author, so I did an online book search. So romantic, passionate, sensual and loving. One of my all time best--so glad I found it again!!!!!!!!!
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