Status Updates From The Duke Gets Desperate (Si...

Let’s bring coals to Newcastle.
“Suck my tits. “. Frivolous and unnecessary prurience. I am glad I am done.

As I am about to finish, at nearly 7 AM, (this insomnia is getting very old), the following sentence clinched my disapprobation:
“Take it. “Space he granted as he thrust up into her. “Take all of me. “ she moved with abandoned…

And the footman, Otis reveals that the Duchess was never involved with Alfred. Rather, she was uncomfortable. It was his imagination-unrequited love-that might have been her death

It was Alfred. But, surprise, it was also the housekeeper Mrs. Shaw.

“I’ve never had a best friend like you. Your quim wants to be friends.“
This is the kind of sentence that leaves the author in a second tier of writers that do not have an eloquence of language. But as I’ve noted before, who am I to criticize someone that is actually written a history romance.

The reason this title is so closely annotated is that it is not a page turner. Too many distractions with the language. But on this page, we are focused again on Alfred the painter, who has many debts. So as the TV detective Monk would say, “I’ve solved the case. “

And then the author comes back with a fairly poetic sentiment: “every time they made love, she gave him a part of her soul. “

“Now it’s time for frisky business. “
It is sentences like this that put me off this book regularly, yet I’m still reading. Overall, the the trope is interesting, but the narrative interferes approaching almost demeaning the reader.

But twist expected. Still curious about the theft of Lycugus cups, though Alfred seems to be the villain of the piece. The falling beam. The death of Deena in a possible fit of passion for spurning him? We shall see you soon.

The accompanying soundtrack to much of this book is the Eagles song ‘ lying eyes.’ and now at 90% of the narrative, the heroine is about to depart. Unsatisfactory.

Half the deck is on the table. The distance caused by lack of disclosure over ownership of the castle is in play. Raya tells the truth, directly and immediately. Strickland tells her he loves her, and she replies honestly, despite her delusion that she does not belong there, that he is using her as a whore. Bothersome obstacles.

“And that made Raya suspicious. “
Thinking on this as a Semite, Palestinians, Jews, and Arabs, and possibly many more ethnic groups, have histories of being very cautious, for good reason. Whether the author made this observation or it was just part of the plot, nonetheless, it does give the reader pause.

The publication date of this title is 2023, the year before October 7, 2024 when Hamas, unprovoked, slaughtered more than 1600 Jewish women, children, men infants, and which the Israelis retaliated killing over 60,000 Palestinians.
That Arabian culture and customs, or Palestinian, as in preparing musakhan, does provide the reader with some edifying content to balance out the prurient.

“In my heart, you are already my wife. “
The scale tips in favor of the author

Naseeb. In Arabic, it means fate. The reader must weigh the satisfaction of learning Arabic words with the vulgarity that accompanies.

“My beautiful Arab queen. “